Welcoming a New Sibling to the Family

Posted by Kelly Pfeiffer Aug 18, 2009

Welcoming a new baby to the family brings both new joy and new stress, especially for children in the family. Parenting writers at Suite101 have written some informative articles to help big brothers and big sisters adjust to a new baby.

Before the baby arrives, parents can involve kids in decorating a nursery to create sibling bonds as well as help children bond by sharing outgrown furniture and children can make a present to welcome a baby.

Siblings watch the new baby get lots of presents, so it can be helpful to give siblings presents when a new baby is born. Another idea is to show videos, photos and baby book of big brother or big sister. Looking at videos and photos of their own birth can help an older sibling understand how much time parents spent taking care of them when they were first born.

Parents remember that parent quality time helps sibling relationships and reduces jealous feelings among siblings. Also learn simple ways to validate feelings when talking to children about new baby jealousy.

If your family is welcoming a new baby into the home, I hope you'll find these articles helpful and always feel free to come back to the article and leave a comment.