Preparing Your Child for a Newborn's Arrival

It&s perfectly normal for children to experience mixed emotions as your family expands.

Nov 28, 2012

Ages

5-6

Photo: Nancy Falconi/Getty Images

 

Baby on the way? As you prepare for your growing family, you may wonder how your kindergartner will adjust/content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/articles/body-text-images It’s perfectly normal for children to experience mixed emotions during this time, including excitement, apprehension, and jealousy/content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/articles/body-text-images 

 

To help your child embrace a new sibling, involve him in the preparations and discuss what’s to come/content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/articles/body-text-images He can help set up the baby’s room or create a “welcome home” sign/content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/articles/body-text-images If this is his first little sibling, consider taking him to a sibling class/content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/articles/body-text-images 

 

Once the baby is home, involve your kindergartner often/content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/articles/body-text-images Your older child can read or sing to the baby/content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/articles/body-text-images He will also feel a great sense of accomplishment when given a special role, such as bringing the diaper or putting on the baby’s socks/content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/articles/body-text-images 

 

Although there might be some bumps along the way, with a little guidance your children will develop a wonderful bond/content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/articles/body-text-images 

 

 

Elena Jeffries, Ph/content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/articles/body-text-imagesD/content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/articles/body-text-images, is a clinical psychologist and co-founding partner of PositiveDevelopments/content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/articles/body-text-imagesnet, a group practice in Millburn, NJ/content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/articles/body-text-images She specializes in child and adolescent psychotherapy and positive discipline strategies for parents/content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/articles/body-text-images

 

 

More From Ages & Stages:

What to do when playtime gets too rough

Strategies to hone your child's listening skills

 

 


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