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Prepare your child for the arrival of a new sibling

The arrival of a sibling can be quite difficult depending on their age and understanding of the situation. In our case, my son was only 16-month-old and was not really aware of what to an only child meant. Therefore when his sister arrived, he ignored her at first, then since she was still with us the second day he decided to get to know her.

He became jealous later when she started walking. But for most older children who are already used to being by themselves a little sister or brother can be upsetting.

There are several things a parent can do to make the situation easier to accept and more manageable for the first child:

  • get him/her involved in the changes during the pregnancy, in the preparation of the nursery
  • give your child undivided attention when the youngest is asleep
  • ask your child to choose a toy for his sibling
  • go through the baby pictures so he/she knows what to expect, there will be no much interaction between the children for a little while
  • read books explaining the process and the feelings.

We carry a few books that will assist with the management of the child’s expectations.

 

Italian

Quando arriva un fratellino

French 

Attendre un petit frère ou une petite soeur

Camille grand soeur 

Portuguese

Amarguinha tem um irmão 

O Bolinha tem uma irma

Spanish

El hermanito de Ruby

Congratulations and good luck!