I have a 16 month old son that will be 20 months when his little brother will arrive. I was wondering if anyone had advice on gettting my son ready and prepared for the new arrival it would be a big help. Also my son is very clingy to me.
2007-08-02 08:52:12 · 5 answers · asked by jessac8876 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
He is young, but may understand more than you think. My oldest was 2 years and 3 weeks old when my second son was born, we helped him through the transition by making him a part of preparing for the new baby. We bought him a "big boy" bed and let him "give" his baby bed to the new baby as a present. When my second son was born my husband brought my oldest up to the hospital to see his new brother, we let him "help" us change him and pick out his outfit that he wore home. When we got home we let him be "mommies little helper" and encouraged him to talk to his little brother and help mommy by getting diapers and such.
This gave him a feeling of being the big kid and still being as much a part of the family without feeling like he had been replaced. My husband would take him on trips just for him without me and little brother so he felt special, but we did things as a family to show him that the new baby was just as big a part of our family as he was. They had to share a room at first and when the baby would wake up my oldest would be heard on the baby monitor singing to his baby brother to try and get him back to sleep or he would call out for mommy to come feed him cause he was being loud again.
The transition wasnt always easy, we had to do some special things for the baby that couldnt include big brother because my second son had to have surgery at 6 mo old, but in the end it worked out well.
2007-08-02 09:03:51 · answer #1 · answered by mms4resprnts 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am going through the same thing! My son will only be 18 months when his brother arrives. Some things other moms have told me.
1. Talk about baby brother/sister a lot, especially as your tummy grows.
2. Get your son a baby doll, as realistic as possible.
Start teaching your son to be gentle with the doll, play with the doll, share with the doll... things like that. It will help him adjust at least in part to the baby! I have heard this from several moms who have kids close in age. I hope it works, for the both of us!! Good luck!
2007-08-02 08:59:38 · answer #2 · answered by Christine 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Talk to him, in a way he will understand, about what this will mean for the family (while you don't want to make him afraid or anything, talk about both the good and not-so-good things that will be happening). One thing you do NOT want to do is tell him the baby will be "a new friend to play with"; this will get him too excited, and he will be let down when he finds out he won't really be able to play with the baby much for the first few months.
2007-08-02 09:29:46 · answer #3 · answered by Lycanthrope777 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get him prepared to be a big brother. Start teaching him how to share, how to be gentle, how to help mommy, daddy and the baby. Keep talking about the baby and how fantastic a big brother he will be. Smile as much as possible when speaking to him about the little brother that is coming :)
2007-08-02 09:18:15 · answer #4 · answered by Harley 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get him a little present and tell him that it's from his little brother. WE did this with our son and they've been best friends ever since.
Also, something I would suggest, when my son went with me to the hospital to see his mom and the new baby, he freaked out when he saw her holding him. It would have been easier for him had he been able to go to his mom right away, since he'd been missing her, without the baby in the way. I would suggest you have someone else holding it when he is introduced for the first time.
good luck!
2007-08-02 09:05:29 · answer #5 · answered by Yogi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋