Preparing the Eldest to Have a Sister

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Waiting for the second child to be born? This is definitely a happy thing for you and your family. All preparations have been made to welcome the birth of the second child, from baby equipment to the cost of labor. Eits ... but wait, have you prepared the first child to have a younger sibling?

Give understanding to the first child that soon he will have a younger sibling is something you should also prepare before your second baby is born, especially if your first child is still one or two years old. The arrival of a new baby can bring change to the family, you as a parent must pay more attention to caring for a newborn baby than to your first child.

This is what can make the first child feel jealous or feel rivaled with his newborn sister. However, you can anticipate this by giving understanding to the first child before your second baby is born. This will make things easier for you.

Preparations that can be made during pregnancy

You can begin to give understanding to your first child since you were pregnant. That way, he will better understand that soon there will be new members who come to the family. However, when telling your child about your pregnancy, consider your child's maturity level and your own comfort.

Tell me that you are pregnant and soon she will have a younger sibling

You can tell that there are potential younger siblings now in your stomach. Your child needs to know it from you directly, not from someone else. You may need to show and tell a pregnancy photo of your first child, a picture of your first child as a baby, or another to help children understand that a baby in the womb and a newborn needs special attention.

Visiting your friends who have babies can also help children build interactions with babies and you can see if children like babies. Inviting your first child when you visit an obstetrician can also help your child slowly to accept the presence of his younger sibling who will be born later.

You can also let your child hold your stomach so that he can feel the kick or movement of his sister who is still in the womb. Always tell positive things about your baby in the womb to your child, don't let your child know you are sick or exhausted while pregnant.

Build time with daddy

You cannot work alone, remember you can work with your partner to give understanding to children. If your first child is used to spending a lot of time with you, try to invite your child to spend more time with his father.

This will train the child not to be with you, so that later it will help you when the baby is born. After the baby is born, of course you need time for yourself as a recovery period and time for your newborn baby. If the child is familiar with his father, then he may not feel that your attention to him is reduced. Children may not be too surprised by the changes that occur when new family members have arrived.

Involve the child in preparation before birth

If your child is interested, you can involve him to prepare everything related to his younger sibling who will be born. He might be able to help choose clothes for his sister, shoes, socks, toys, and other baby supplies. That way, he will feel involved and be part of the person who welcomes the birth of the baby.

Approaching the time of birth

Approaching the time of birth makes you more busy with yourself and birth, this may make children become anxious and new fears arise. This is normal. At this time, you should keep doing the routine as usual.

Don't make big changes at this time. If you want to move a child's room, you should do this a few weeks before birth. If the child has not been able to go to the toilet alone, you should not force him to be able to.

At this time, children also need more time with you. Spend your time with children as much as you can and enjoy before there are many changes in your family. At this time, you can tell that soon his sister will be born, he can visit you in the hospital when the baby is born. Tell us that this will be a new experience that is fun for him, he does not need to worry if you are not beside him.

When the baby is born

After the baby is born, you should still pay attention to your first child so that he is helped adjust to the various changes that occur. It's good if he stays involved as much as possible in your daily activities with your baby, so he doesn't feel left out.

This can help build interactions between brother and sister, although maybe your work will take longer. Let her enjoy time with her sister, maybe she wants to play with babies, talk to babies, wear clothes, and so on. In addition, don't forget to make time for your first child so that he gets full attention. You can do this when the baby is sleeping or whenever there is a chance.

If the child acts harshly on the baby, it's best don't scold him. Understand what feeling the child is feeling so he behaves like that. This can also be a sign that he feels less of your attention. That means you have to spend more time with your first child.

Having a sister is a big change for children. He needs time to adjust and really understand it. The important thing you do is always give understanding to children.

You need to know

Several factors can make a child more difficult to accept the presence of his younger sibling, such as:

  • Children's personality has the most influence on how he can interact with his newborn sister, based on research.
  • Children who have the closest relationship with their mothers, usually can be more angry when their younger siblings are born.
  • Children who have the closest relationship with their father, usually can be more able to adjust to the presence of his sister.
  • The stage of a child's development can also influence how well he can share your attention. A 2-year-old child is usually more difficult to share because he still needs a lot of time and attention from you.
  • Stress in the family can make the adjustment of the first child to the presence of his younger sibling more difficult. Therefore, you should always try to establish harmony in the family regardless of the situation.

 

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Preparing the Eldest to Have a Sister
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