Another family member is expected and you already have a preschooler or a toddler at home who might not be ready to accept the good news. The parenting is to prepare the toddler for welcoming the new baby. Your best bet is to address the changes in your family before the new baby arrives but keep in mind, no matter how ready your preschooler may seem, once the baby is born, there will be an adjustment period. Here are some of the parenting tips on how to get your child ready and (hopefully) a little excited about becoming a big brother or sister.
The best parenting tip is to try and tell the toddler the news in advance start building up some excitement, every child reacts differently to this news, as my mother narrates that my elder brother loved me (the new born baby) till we were at the hospital as soon as the new born was brought home, the feeling that he would have to share his parents with me struck him and he was upset.
So as soon as you break the news to the toddler remind him that he was a baby once too and then eventually grew up, dig out some of the old baby clothes that you have put away for another day, show him some baby pictures of him and explain how good it was to have a baby around and excite them with the new of the arrival of a new baby.
After this news expect a little moodiness, it is natural to that while you are gradually proceeding towards the due date the difficulty of handling the toddler increases, you can’t even pick them up and this would make them feel that their life is being upended.
Another important parenting tip for the arrival of a new baby is to involve the toddler with you while you shop for the new baby and ask for his advice for baby names, clothes, beddings and toys. Let him choose a thing or two while you are shopping for the new baby, getting his input would make him realize that he is an important part of the family.
A good idea for younger preschoolers, try purchasing a baby doll similar in size to a newborn. Let your little one practice holding, changing and feeding her “baby.” Treat it as close to the real thing as realistically possible, taking it for walks in the stroller and even placing it in a car seat as the due date nears.
Parenting tips for welcoming the new family member and preparing the already existing toddler in the family.
