When I was pregnant with my younger one, Roshni, I received some great pieces of advice from friends and family on how to prep my 6-year-old boy, Tarun, and how to go about introducing the baby to him once she was born.
Older siblings are bound to feel insecure when their little brother or sister arrives because the little one gets all their attention. They may not be fully accepting of the change where they would have to share their space, their toys, and especially you!
But there’s no need to panic. To be frank, preparing your older child and later introducing him or her to your newborn can be stressful but is exciting at the same time. Here’s how I helped my son transition from being the only doted son to a responsible big brother.
From The Prep
Keeping the arrival of your newborn a secret and bringing it up as a straight-up surprise may not be the best thing to do. Soon after I found out I was pregnant, I sat my son down and told him that he’s going to be a big brother. He took it well and it was fairly easy for me to explain it to him because my brother, at the time, had a son and daughter too. I told him he was going to have a sister just like his cousin. He was all ears and super thrilled about having a little sister too!
I took him with me for a couple of prenatal checkups and he listened to the baby’s heartbeat. I would let him touch the baby bump and feel the baby kick too. Having conversations about the new baby such as asking your child what he thinks the baby is doing or thinking will help him familiarise with the change in family structure.
The Intro
My younger brother was born when I was eight years old and I remember my mum called me into the operation theatre just before she had my brother. I followed her footsteps and did the same with my son – which I think made him all the more excited about seeing his sister. After the delivery, my husband brought him into the ward and we investigated our daughter’s little eyes, nose, lips, hands, and legs. He said he couldn’t wait for her to open her eyes and play with her!
I’ve been told that 5 year-olds and 6 year-olds are not a handful when it comes to being the older sibling but younger ones tend to throw tantrums just to get your attention. If this is the case with you, you will have to make time to spend some quality time with your older child. Also, when you introduce the newborn, make sure you’re not carrying the newborn – this could make your child anxious that he’s being replaced. Instead, put the baby somewhere close to you, perhaps on the bed.
To becoming Best Friends Forever!
Fast forward 6 years, my son and daughter are the bestest of friends and enjoy each other’s company. My daughter is always skipping around her big brother and my son makes the perfect big brother – plays with her, playfully ignores her, and nags her every now and then.
How did you introduce your newborn to your older child? Let me know in the comments!
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