It can end up feeling like quite a lot of legwork goes into preparing your child to meet a baby sibling.
I remember buying our eldest a gift (a Peppa Pig jigsaw) “from her baby sister” and I asked her to choose something she would like to buy for her new sister, too (she chose a Peter Rabbit comforter, which she later purloined).
We also put some thought into how and where we should introduce them – I’d seen a couple of social media posts suggesting putting our newborn in a Moses basket so the meet would occur on more “neutral” ground. It seemed to work.
We also continued to take it in turns to do our eldest’s bedtime routine, so that I would at least get some one-on-one time with her while we adapted to life as a four (and the incessant cluster feeding which I’d forgotten all about!).
Don’t get me wrong, there were challenges and tears along the way, but I do think these helped sweeten the deal for her. Fast forward a year and they love and hate each other on a daily basis (although the needle tends to move more on the love end of the spectrum, for now).
The recent news that Mummy Pig (of Peppa Pig fame) is pregnant with her third child piglet sparked plenty of conversation around how to break this news to kids – and the kind of reactions they have when you do.
A new episode of the TV show, airing on 30 March, will see the cartoon pig and her younger brother George experience this momentous milestone for themselves.
To coincide with the episode, Hasbro commissioned a survey which revealed the most frequently asked questions from children about new siblings.
One in five parents said their kids have asked the absolutely brutal (but understandable) query of: can we trade the baby for something else?
Other commonly asked questions to parents included ‘how did the baby get in your tummy?’ (cue: panic!) and ‘is that a melon inside your stomach?’. Out of the mouths of babes and all that.
How should you respond if your child wants to trade their new sibling for something else?
Your child is no longer the centre of attention and they want a refund on the tiny person who now appears to be everyone’s sole focus.
If you find yourself in this position, Maxine Palmer from the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), told HuffPost UK: “It can help to consider the context as it may be that a child has become overwhelmed by the focus on the new baby, or perhaps they don’t yet have a firm concept of the new baby as a person yet.
“Try to be straightforward in your answer: the baby is a real person, and they are part of the family.”
She reiterated that it is totally normal for children to feel anxious or even envious about a new baby – and they may need lots of positive reassurance about your relationship with them.
Palmer said helping a child develop a positive relationship with their younger sibling can begin even before they are born.
“This might be through talking about the baby and making them seem more like a real person,” she said.
“Children often like to feel the baby move, and you could encourage them to talk to the baby and tell them about their day, letting them know that the baby will love hearing them talk or sing to them once they are born.
“You could focus on them becoming big brothers or sisters and what they’ll be able to teach the new baby and help them imagine the future playmate they may have.”
The expert added that children also benefit from developing strong relationships with those close to, and caring for, them by having individual time together. So schedule the odd park trip where it’s just the two of you, or a bit of 1-2-1 colouring time.
“Helping them feel secure and loved can help a child feel more open to welcoming a new sibling,” she added.
Ultimately though, know that your child will be OK.
As Dr Krupa Playforth, from The Pediatrician Mom, said: “My single biggest tip? Don’t stress about it. Yes, this is going to be an important memory in your family’s history. But it’s going to be okay, I promise, and you don’t have to do anything special necessarily.
“Are there things you can do to help? Sure. But ‘parenting multiple kids’ lesson #1 is that we are in less control than we think. And no matter how it goes, the kids will be alright.”
Peppa Pig: The Big Announcement premiers on 30 March on Milkshake.
#Kid #Asks #Trade #Baby
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