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Welcoming a new baby? Here’s how to help your child embrace their new sibling with love and ease

Jan 24, 2025 08:08 PM IST

Preparing your child for a new sibling can be challenging. Experts share tips on fostering love, reducing jealousy, and making the transition smoother. 

Bringing a second child home is a happy occasion where parents are excited about the prospects of another round of parenting with a hint of trepidation. The pangs of anxiety usually are on account of concerns about how the firstborn child will adjust to the arrival of a new sibling.

Tips for parents to help siblings bond with newborns and adjust to changes.(Freepik)
Tips for parents to help siblings bond with newborns and adjust to changes.(Freepik)

For a young child, switching from being an only child and the baby of the family to assuming the mantle of a responsible older sibling is quite immense. It needs to be handled with care and understanding by the parents. Dr. Anita Madan, Head of Curriculum Development, EuroKids, shared with HT Lifestyle a few tips parents can deploy to make a happy occasion for the newly minted elder sibling. (Also read: Jokes, giggles and parenting wins: How humour might be the key to raising happier kids )

1. Prepare ahead

Building a bond between siblings starts with deep conversations during pregnancy. (Freepik)
Building a bond between siblings starts with deep conversations during pregnancy. (Freepik)

The best way to start building a bond is by having deep conversations about the changes early in the pregnancy. One should give their child time to adjust to the concept and make sure anxieties about the upcoming pregnancy are addressed. Engaging the child in age-appropriate conversations, encouraging them to ask questions, and being ready with logical answers are important. The parents should emphasise that the child will continue to receive all the love and support they need.

2. Setting expectations

As mentioned above, while reassurance about love and affection is good, parents should talk and prepare the older sibling on concepts such as sharing things, explaining why the parents will need to pay more attention to the infant, and so on. This will reduce the chances of the older sibling feeling insecure or resentful.

The elder sibling must also be involved in the key preparations for the newborn. This could include allowing them to select or suggest names, a crib for the baby, and clothes, which will instil a sense of ownership and excitement for the newborn's arrival.

Moreover, parents should understand that occasional feelings of jealousy or uncertainty are common for children. It is important to create a space for the child to express their emotions by providing support and reassurance when the chips are down.

3. Read sibling-centered books

Parents should reassure older children of their love, helping them adapt to their new role and fostering a sense of responsibility and pride.(Freepik)
Parents should reassure older children of their love, helping them adapt to their new role and fostering a sense of responsibility and pride.(Freepik)

Children love stories, and reading or asking the child to read books with stories about siblings will help them understand key concepts such as sharing and cooperation and help build a bond even before the newborn is home. The parents must talk about the key learnings from these stories with their child and answer any significant questions or concerns.

4. Welcoming the newborn

To build a long-term bond with the newborn, parents must make sure their child can meet the new sibling very quickly, encourage them to interact with the baby with a watchful eye, and offer praise and the occasional gift for food, positive interactions and gentle gestures.

Involve the siblings in doing small activities for the baby, making them feel responsible by facilitating bonding activities such as fetching diapers, singing lullabies, or assisting with bath time. It can help strengthen the sibling bond and create a sense of responsibility and pride.

5. Setting a routine

In the initial days, it is also best to maintain the child's routine as before since sudden changes could result in anxiety. Parents must realise that a sense of stability and predictive actions offer security for the child. It needs to be stressed that parents and other caregivers must spend time with the older child by planning special activities or outings depending on their interests and preferences.

Parents must be patient and empathic to the child as they adapt to the new role. All families are unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to these issues. As a parent, it is important to recognise this facet, embrace both the successes and the challenges and use these tips to strengthen the familial bond. A marriage of patience, empathy, and understanding, tempered with parental support, will help create a solid foundation for a healthy relationship among siblings based on trust, love, and understanding.

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Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
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