Your Childrens Health

The birth of a new baby should be a joyous and celebrated event for the entire family.  However, with it often comes feelings of jealousy and resentment; often from one so small, you didn’t realize they had the capacity to feel such emotions.

Parents may fret over how to tell the older child that they are expecting.  There is really no right or wrong time, though it is best to give the child as much time as possible to digest the information and adjust. 

Try to explain the situation in terms that your child will understand, depending on their age.  For example, an eight year old child may be very inquisitive about the impending birth.  They will understand the concept of nine months and could actually be a great to you, if you try to involve them in your pregnancy activities. 

A younger child may be more resistant.  If they do not understand that nine months is a long time to wait, they may be confused.  Try to explain it to them in a way that makes sense to them, ie: “Baby will be here in the summer, when it’s really hot outside”. 

Allow your child to have some input in such decisions as nursery decorating, choosing a stroller, etc.  Encourage them to choose a few toys to give Baby as a “Welcome Gift”.  Talk to them often about Baby; let them feel him kick, roll and bounce around in your belly.  Encourage your child to talk to the Baby.

As the birth approaches, make plans for your older child.  Tell them in advance that they will be staying with a relative or friend while Baby is born.  Then, let them come to visit in the hospital when no other visitors are present.  Make them feel that they are part of a special, growing family.

Once you return home, you may be faced with tantrums, toy throwing, and a great deal of resistance.  Or, you could have a real Mommy’s Helper on your hands.  Either way, continue to make time for your older child whenever you can.  They will undoubtedly miss being the centre of your universe, so you must show them that there is plenty of Mommy and Daddy love to go around.  Spend as much time as possible together as a family, to help your older child grow accustomed to their new role. 

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 2nd, 2006 at 5:37 am and is filed under Uncategorized, Pregnancy and Newborns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.