By Katina Lewis
The arrival of a new baby is a big event for all
parties involved. It can be especially hard on siblings of the new
arrival. How can you explain this big event and make the arrival
of the new baby more comforting for the siblings? Here are some
ideas, tips and guidelines to follow when trying to explain to your
other kids about the new baby.
Surprise! You're a Big Sister or Brother
You
just found out that your Mommy is going to have a baby. Depending
on what age you are, that means different things. Typical thoughts
on babies range from awe to outright disgust. Why? Babies do generate
a lot of different emotions. They are a big step in life.
Do you have an older sister or brother?
They must have felt the same way when you were born. Sometimes,
they may have felt betrayed. Other times, they felt warm and wanted
to offer so much help to Mom. Either feeling is fine just as long
as you know that you are now a big sister or brother and that is
a huge step toward growing up. You have now gained some responsibility.
What to Expect
It's hard to imagine everything to expect
with the arrival of a new baby. Life brings in unexpected events.
But there are certain events that are almost always expected when
the baby arrives. Here is a list of common things that may be expected
with the new baby.
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Time. Babies do take a lot of time. Babies depend
on Mom for everything. Babies can't feed themselves, change
themselves or even talk and say what's wrong. They can only
cry and hope Mom takes care of the problem. This takes Mom's
energy and time and may mean less time than you two spent together
before.
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Energy. Mom may have had a lot of energy before
the baby arrived. She may have played with you and even played on
the playground equipment with you. But delivering and carrying the
baby has depleted some of her energy. She may not have quite as
much.
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Babies are so noisy. They do cry a lot. This
is the only way they can communicate.
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Babies are cute. A lot of people will come to
call at your house. Many will come over just to talk about the cute
little baby. Let's face it. Babies are really cute.
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Thousands of diapers. Babies can't go to
the bathroom in the toilet like big kids can. So there will be thousands
of diapers to go through.
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Different schedules. The baby will possibly be
on a different schedule than you are. Babies feed every two to three
hours. This will mean that Mom will be up every two to three hours
feeding the baby. It will likely mean you will hear the baby crying
for food and you will more than likely hear Mom attending the baby's
needs. It may take some getting used to.
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How to Prepare Before the Big Arrival
Preparing
yourself for the arrival of the baby can help ease some tensions
that you may be having right now. Here are four tips to help you
prepare for the big day of the baby's birth.
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Tip #1: Help Mom and Dad clean up the nursery and
house. This will help prepare for the baby. It may also help give
you more time to spend with Mom and Dad.
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Tip #2: Be on your best behavior. Even though you
may not be getting quite the attention you have in the past, you
should be on your best behavior. This could be a time of higher
stress for your Mom and she will appreciate if you are on your best
behavior. Be honest and helpful.
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Tip #3: Use your quiet voice. Some babies are very
sensitive to loud voices. They aren't used to the loud world.
They were used to muffled voices and quiet soothing voices from
inside Mom. When the babies finally arrive they are surrounded by
unfamiliar noises. Yelling and talking loudly can startle a baby
and cause more stress. Practice talking softly and gently before
the baby arrives.
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Tip #4: Clean up your toys, especially the smaller
toys. Babies can't yet distinguish, or tell the difference
between toys and food when they are first starting to crawl around.
Although, they won't start crawling around for a few months,
it's helpful to help your Mom and Dad baby-proof the house.
Baby proofing the house helps prevent dangerous things from happening
to the baby.
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 Patience and Time
It will take some time getting used to the new baby.
Make sure you talk about how you feel to your Mom and Dad and other
relatives. It's normal to feel upset or sometimes even angry
at the situation. But talking should help you feel better about
things.
Even your Mom will have to get used to the new baby.
Everyone should expect patience to be of utmost importance. It's
time to be a big sister or brother but even you should take breathers
and breaks.
Article written by Katina Lewis.
All opinions expressed are that of the writer.
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