Clearly, we’d be in the wrong sector if we didn’t love a newborn baby! Their smell, their sounds, their tiny perfect form, we lap it all up! At The Owl & The Pussycat Preschool the miracle of new life always brings a sense of delight and awe to our community. It is a joy to play a part in seeing our children grow from being the babies, to being big brothers and sisters when new additions are welcomed into growing families.
In nature, Spring is a season of new life. Harvest time, bird song, lambing, calving, flowers in bloom and trees returning to full foliage. And at The Owl and The Pussycat Preschool we too, have had the privilege of welcoming many new baby brothers and sisters to our community.
Congratulations to all our families who are expecting or have recently welcomed new siblings into their family. We hope and pray this is a wonderful, cherished time for you as a family. However, we know all too well, amidst all the joy, are some big changes and adjustments, not just for the bigger members of your family, but also for the smallest.
For those families experiencing this season here are a few thoughts, tips and ideas for how to help your toddler or preschooler as they navigate welcoming a new sibling into their world.
Firstly, patience, time and sensitivity. You won’t be the only one experiencing big emotions in these first few weeks. Be mindful – in your child’s living memory it’s just been you and them. Now a new baby has arrived. They cry, they poop, take up space and most importantly your time. Be available and intentionally set aside on-on-one time for little moments of connection with your toddler or preschooler to listen, reconnect and reassure them of their value and place. It might be prioritising sitting with them at meal or bath time to hear about their day, playing their favourite game, or reading a beloved story before bed. Calm moments to connect – with eye contact, physical touch, quality time and genuine interest – with both Mum and Dad will help them feel seen and settled.
Next, planning paired with flexibility. These might sound like opposites, but together they will be a dynamic duo. Keep daily habits and spaces in your week for your toddler and preschooler. A lot about their new sibling will be unfamiliar and disruptive. Where you can keep their existing routines and rhythms – preschool days, swim lessons, play group – as you all settle into a new normal. Yet, in those plans be flexible and manage your expectations of both them and yourself. It might look a little different and that’s OK.
Inclusion and modelling. Where possible include your child in welcoming and caring for baby with little jobs for little helpers. This can begin before baby arrives. Try and include them in planning for baby. Let them choose toys, furnishings or clothes for their new sibling, or even an old favourite item to pass down to the baby, now that they are so big. Once baby arrives, ask them to fetch nappies, wipes or spare clothes during nappy changes, sing a special song to their sibling at naptime, or get a water bottle or snack for you while feeding. Feeling like they can help care for their sibling in age-appropriate ways will help establish new family bonds and dynamics. But no need to push. Keep it fun and light. Be sure to praise their efforts and abilities as a big brother or sister reminding them how much they have grown and how proud you are of them.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. We gifted each of our toddlers their own baby doll when their sibling was born. This was their baby to care for, just like mummy and daddy cared for their new sibling. When I fed baby, they fed their baby. When we took baby for a walk, they put their baby in a toy pram and went for a stroll. It gave them great imaginative play opportunities and a focus of their own, when ours was elsewhere.
Similarly, many families have the baby give a personal gift to their older sibling when they first meet them. This builds connection between siblings, shows them that their new baby brother or sister also loves Paw Patrol or Bluey and is a friend, not a rival.
Hopefully some of these ideas come in handy and help you transition from a family of three to four, or four to five. Remember, have grace for yourself and siblings as you all adjust to having a new member of the family. A bit of patience, time, sensitivity, plus planning and flexibility, along with inclusion and modelling will help all of you along the way. You’ve got this!
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