How To Help Toddler Adapt To New Baby

BabyGaga

Here is how you can make your toddler have an easier transition when you add a new baby to your family.

When I was pregnant with my second child I went through a lot of emotional turmoil. I was terrified to have another baby for multiple reasons. I was scared because I was terrified to breastfeed again (it just hurts so bad), and then I remembered never sleeping. I was also afraid that I wasn't going to love my second child as much as my first. I just loved my son so much I just "knew" there was no chance that I was going to love the second baby as much. Now as a mom of four I realize how ridiculous that is because I love each of my babies equally. I was also quite nervous about how my child was going to handle his new brother. My toddler was only going to be 16 months when his baby was going to come into the world and so we knew there was going to be some sort of issues.

Here are some of the ways we figured out how to help our toddler adapt to our new little baby.

Remind your toddler how much you love them
Don't make your toddler go through a huge change around the time the baby is born. For example, don't take away their binky or force them to potty train.
Make time to snuggle with your toddler. Even better, find a way to snuggle with your toddler while you are nursing your new baby.
Encourage the toddler to help with the baby: Pump milk and help them feed the baby. Ask your toddler to grab things for you like diapers, wipes, or a blanket.
Ask your partner to watch the baby so you can take one-on-one time with your toddler. Always make sure that your toddler knows that they are special.
Don't stop doing the things that your toddler loves, like singing, bedtime stories, or coloring. You want to try to avoid resentment for the new baby.

Adding a new baby to the family takes a lot of hard work. It is always going to be a transition for everybody. New babies require a lot of change and everybody has to learn to adapt. Don't be surprised if your toddler goes through a regression, starts acting out or even ignoring the new baby. All of these are perfectly normal. Be patient with them. As a mother of four, I can tell you that children really will come around and they will learn to love their new sibling.

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