How To Prepare Your Eldest Child To Welcome His Brother Or Sister

The arrival of a new member in the family, the arrival of a baby, is a family event that requires great changes for the whole family. Know how to prepare your oldest child to welcome his brother or sister.

The arrival of a new member in the family is a big event which involves important changes for all the members of the family nucleus, in particular for the smallest of the household for whom the arrival of the new child constitutes a mystery.

For your little one, that means a lot of changes in a short period of time. He will have to learn to share his house, his time and his parents with another person smaller than himself, whom he does not know and who will receive much of the attention of his parents, especially the mother, for a good while. period.

This is why it is essential to prepare your child to welcome his brother or sister. He will gradually understand the new situation and the changes to which he will have to adapt. It won’t be as complicated as it looks!

What are the possible reactions of your oldest child to the arrival of a new baby in the family nucleus? 

This will mainly depend on the age of your child, and the relationship he has with you. You need to be prepared for any kind of reaction, so that you can handle the situation in the best possible way.

• Your child may be indifferent to the news, but then he or she begins to adopt new attitudes and begins to behave like an ill-bred child, for example. He may then start doing things to get attention, feeling that he will eventually lose it with the arrival of the new member.
• Your child may make you believe that he understands the situation. But once the baby is born, it is likely that he will be unhappy with the changes and feel out of place.
• It may also be that your child is happy to hear this news, and once the baby is born, he will feel proud to play the role of the big brother and then help you take care of him, while telling the story. that to everyone.

How do you get the news to a little child?

If your child is under four years old, explain to him that his little brother or sister is in your womb, and that at some point the baby will come out and be as small as he was. when he was a baby.

Show him pictures of his own birth, so that he begins to have a relationship with the new family member.

You can also tell her a story just to tell her about the changes that are going to happen in the family. Another good idea is for your child to be in contact with a family that is having a baby. He will thus be able to have an overview of the new situation to come.

How do you get the news to a big kid?

If your child is older, it is very likely that he understands the situation. Nonetheless, there will be a lot of questions for you to answer.

Explain the stages of pregnancy to her as your belly grows. So you can prepare your child to welcome the newborn, and thus prevent the arrival of the baby from being a surprise.

Involve him in the process. Take him with you to buy the baby’s things, explain why this new member will need more attention, and tell him how he can help you. Thus, he will not feel left out.

Some tips to prepare your eldest to welcome the newborn?

Help your older child to prepare for the arrival of his brother or sister. Use the following tips to make things easier for her.

• During pregnancy, explain each step of the process to your child in simple words, and let her know that she, too, has formed the same way.
• Let him feel the knocks the baby gives to your tummy.
• Make him participate in the process, so that he feels that he is part of the project. Let him help you prepare the nursery. Involve him in choosing the first name. Let her give you her opinion on baby clothes. Take it with you to ultrasound appointments.
• You can break the news to his mistress and to those closest to him. This will be of great help as it can help him see the situation as a great adventure.
• Make sure to let him know that the new situation does not affect the unconditional love you feel for him.
• Explain that a baby needs a lot of care and attention.
• Tell him the advantages of having a brother and of forming a bigger family. Teach him the values ​​of sharing and helping.

A thought

Children have such a big and noble heart that news like this will always be joyous news for them.

Preparing your eldest child to welcome the new family member is nothing complex: you just have to include him in this new stage and talk a lot with him about it. Thus, the process will be much easier than you might think.