Introducing a sibling

How do I handle introducing my 2-year-old to my new baby?

After the birth, arrange for your child to meet the baby as soon as possible. Have her caregiver ask if she wants to bring a special blanket for her new sibling or flowers or a drawing for her mom.

The hospital may seem unfamiliar and scary to your child, so keep visits short and flexible. Make sure a familiar adult is there whose only responsibility is your child. The caregiver may want to plan a special outing after the visit. Having somewhere fun to go makes it easier to leave Mom.

You may want to try to have your hands free when your child arrives so you can focus on greeting her before introducing her to the baby. But if she shows up while you're nursing, you can invite her over to check out the baby's feet and hands, even while he's eating. Once you introduce her to her sibling, allow your child as much contact with the baby as possible. Show her the baby's body and let her touch him.

How can I help my 2-year-old not feel threatened by the new baby?

If she seems concerned about you having enough attention to go around, do what you can to reassure her that she hasn't been replaced by this new baby. Prop a picture of her by your hospital bed and make sure she sees it. Ask her opinion about what the baby might be saying when he cries or which blanket she thinks the baby wants over him. Tell her stories of what she looked or sounded like when she was born. Take photos of her with the baby.

Some parents give their child a gift from the baby to help break the ice at that first meeting. However, doing this may stretch the limits of logic, even for a toddler And keep in mind that your children will be more likely to develop a close relationship if you let them find their own ways of bonding.

While it's normal for a child to feel uneasy about the addition of a new member to the family, don't assume that your firstborn will feel displaced by the new baby. Often, children are delighted and interested in the new baby and more confused about how their parent has changed.w