How to Help Your Child Cope With the Coming of a New Baby

The coming of a new baby in the family is great news to everyone especially for parents. Everyone gets excited and prepares for the latest addition in the family. The grandparents start to buy baby clothes, aunts and uncles give surprisingly cute presents for the little one, daddy gets the playroom ready, and mommy takes extra care of herself. All the acts are directed to the coming baby and the first-born child often feels neglected. This is the usual scenario when a new baby is due to arrive. All the attention goes to the other unborn member and the eldest child feels forgotten. The child begins to have self-pity and thinks that she is unwanted. The child senses that somebody will soon replace her and she will no longer be the favorite in the family.

In order to get back the attention lost, the child creates unusual behavior that will catch the attention of the adults around her. She begins to whine about almost all little things, misbehave in school and be mean to younger children.

Parents should deal with the feelings of the child about the new baby coming. Otherwise, the child will end up hating her baby brother or sister and this will be more difficult to handle. Here are some tips that will help your child cope up with the situation.

-Talk and explain.

Parents have to present the situation to the child in a way that she understands. Let the child voice out her sentiments about the baby and address this the soonest possible time. Explain to the child that your love for her does not change even with the coming of your new baby. Let her know that her baby brother or sister can be her friend and needs her care too.

-Continue your routine and play time with her.

As much as possible, keep playing with your child. Spend quality time together. When the child sees that the amount of time you spend with her does not change, she will feel secure.

-Tell stories about your experience with being pregnant with her.

Children love to hear stories. Tell her how excited you were waiting for her to come out and how everyone was happy to see her. When your unborn child moves inside you, let her feel it and explain to her that she was also like that when she was still inside your womb.

-Involve her.

Let her take part in choosing the color of the playroom, decorating the crib, buying clothes and even during the prenatal check- ups. This will help the child feel important. Later on, when the baby is out, you can also involve her in taking care of the baby. This will give her a sense of responsibility.

As parents, understand your child. This is not an easy stage for her. With your help and advice, she will soon surpass this phase in her life.

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