Preparing Your Child for a New Sibling

Preparing for a New Baby? You’ll Also Have to Prepare Your Firstborn for Life With a Newborn Sibling. Here’s How to Get Your Child Ready for (and Even Looking Forward to) the New Baby’s Debut, and His Debut as an Older Sibling.

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So, you’ve spilled the baby beans to your older child, but you can’t help wondering – does he understand what being an older sibling means? The reaction of your child to the arrival of a new brother or sister might be as unique as they are, and will largely depend on their temperament and personality. Some children will be completely accepting and will embrace a new baby into the family, while others will be utterly indifferent. But for many children, the arrival of a new sibling can be a difficult time. Many child psychologists agree that the arrival of a new sibling can be as shocking to children as it would be to you if, say, your partner suddenly brought another person home. It’s more than likely that your child will feel the same way when you bring a new baby home. Unlike an adult, a young child cannot verbalise how they are feeling, and will often ‘act out’ their emotions with disruptive or baby-like attention seeking behaviour. Rest assured that these feelings are usually fleeting and many children quickly adjust to their new sibling.