If you already have a toddler or young child and you've
recently discovered that you’re expecting baby number two, you may be already
getting a little anxious about how to break the news to your first born. You might want to shout it from the roof tops,
as you wish to share your excitement and joy with your little one, but don’t
forget that children under the age of 3 have little sense of time, and they
won’t understand that they will have quite a long wait before they can actually
meet their new baby brother or sister!
Timing
It’s probably best to wait until you are in the final
trimester of pregnancy, and are really starting to show before you reveal the
exciting news to your child. Perhaps you
could take your little one with you to some prenatal check-ups, so that they
can hear the baby’s heartbeat, or you could encourage your little one to touch
your tummy and perhaps sing a nursery rhyme to the new baby. This early bonding can really help a young
child to feel involved, and may help to reduce the risk of any feelings of
resentment.
Birth
When your big day arrives, make sure you have adequate
childcare arrangements put into place for your first born. It may be that a grandparent or other
relative is on standby to take care of your child, but prepare your son or
daughter first so that they know what will happen when the time comes for their
new baby brother or sister to be born.
Make sure that they still feel special – perhaps Granny could bake some
cakes with them ready for Mummy to come home from the hospital.
Equipment
Having two children in the house will make a difference to
the amount of equipment you will need to have!
If your eldest child is under the age of 2 and a half, chances are you
will be needing a double or inline pushchair.
UPPAbaby provide a practical solution for parents with more than one
child, as their Vista model allows for an additional seat to be easily added to
the chassis when required. The Vista
Rumble Seat converts the single pushchair into an in-line stroller quickly
and easily, making it an economical and useful option for parents.
If your eldest child is a little older, chances are they
will be walking for most of the time whilst they are out and about. However, if they do tire quickly, there is a
simple answer. The UPPAbaby
Vista Piggy Back Ride-Along Board provides a safe yet fun method of
transport for a young child – the board simply clips onto the back of the
pushchair frame, allowing your grown up boy or girl to simply hop on and off as
they please.
Of course, when you are out and about, you’ll be needing to
take plenty of equipment for two children!
Whilst you may be used to taking out drinks, snacks, spare underwear and
wet wipes for your toddler, you’ll also need to get back into the mind-set of
taking copious amounts of nappies, and bottles for your trip out. Make sure you have a large sized
changing bag which can safely hold everything you need, whether you may be
popping to the shops or perhaps enjoying a day out at the park.
Preparation
The key to introducing a new baby to an older sibling is
preparation and involvement. Towards the
end of the pregnancy, be sure to talk about the new baby and how your son or
daughter can help you to look after him or her.
Perhaps they could help you to make sure you have enough nappies in the
changing bag for a trip out, or they could help you to dry the baby after its
bath. Making the older child feel
special, and useful is an ideal way of encouraging the two young children to
bond. Don’t forget to try to have some
one on one time with your eldest – whilst this may seem difficult; particularly
in the early weeks when it seems like an endless round of feeding and nappy
changing – even 15 minutes of special time together per day can make a huge
difference.
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