Big life changes are often difficult for toddlers to understand. Five mums reveal how they helped their little ones adapt to new situations…
“Ruby’s the boss in our household, so we were dreading her reaction to a new baby,” says Julie Daniel, 38, from Kent, mum to Ruby, 2, and Lottie, 15 weeks. “We told her she was getting a new sister, who was another person to love her. I made sure I wasn’t holding Lottie when Ruby came to visit at the hospital and put a present for Ruby from Lottie in her cot. At home, I rang friends and family in advance, asking them to give Ruby a cuddle before seeing Lottie. Even if I’m feeding Lottie, I’ll take her off my breast if, say, Ruby falls over. I don’t want her to feel left out. I also let Ruby choose her sister’s clothes and help with her bath time.”
Childcare expert Rachel Waddilove, author of The Baby Book: How to Enjoy Year One and The Toddler Book: How to Enjoy Your Growing Child says, “It’s natural for a toddler to feel a little jealous of a new baby and Julie has worked really hard to ensure Ruby doesn’t feel pushed out. A present from Lottie is a great idea and letting Ruby help with bath time means she doesn’t feel the baby is out of bounds. “Having a sibling is a great life lesson for a toddler – all children have to learn to wait their turn at times and not be centre stage, so you shouldn’t feel guilty about putting your baby’s needs before your older child at times. Openly lavish lots of love on both your new baby and older child, and emphasise the fact that they will have lots of fun together and love each other.”
