Sophie’s been promoted to big sister – baby gifts to the rescue
When we give birth, we do not only give birth to a child, we give birth to a sister or brother who will form a bond with our other siblings and create a history of those childhood days of innocence and fun. As the years progress, that bond will often remain unbroken as grown-up dreams are shared. Brothers and sisters share a unique friendship which lasts a lifetime but how do we build that foundation when our firstborn is happy being an only child and a new baby is about to enter the fold?
As parents revel in the excitement of a new addition to the family, your toddler may not find it so easy to cope with suddenly becoming a big brother or sister. The transition from being centre of attention to having to share the limelight could make your son or daughter, feel unwanted and unloved. How can you prevent this from happening?
Ensure that he/she is included in the preparations for new baby. A good way to do this is to start making your son or daughter feel grown up and responsible before your little bundle makes a grand entrance. One good way is if you are moving to make more room for the new baby, than let their siblings help pick out the house, take them with you to look at Kingston flats and houses for rent, let them decide who’s room will be whose in each house, and genuinely take their opinion into consideration when deciding. This will make them feel important, and more responsible for family responsibility. Not to mention, they will have a fantastic time finding new places to hide in the new house.
Encourage your youngster to pick out some gifts to give to baby. This is an effective way to help your child form a mental bond with the new baby and adjust positively to the changes which will shortly take place.
There are lots of inspirational toys available both online and in high street stores. Let your child be solely responsible for hand picking a gift or two to personally give to baby. Presents do not have to be big and expensive, just small gestures such as a rattle or teddy which can be placed in the cot or pram.
Make it a habit to always buy something for your older child whenever you purchase something for baby to eliminate feelings of being left out. Another tool to prepare your child for the new addition could be a book which is read at bedtime and gently explains how life will be when baby comes home.
By focussing on all of the positive benefits to having an extra family member, your child will soon look forward to sharing life and toys with someone else and learn to become a friend out of choice rather than out of duty.
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