My daughter is almost 6 years old she has been an only child and we just found out I am having a baby in May. She is really excited now but I know it will be different once the baby is here and she has to "share" me. I need to know some good ways to make her feel and know that she is not going to lose me or my love when the baby arrives. Because even if one of my friends brings over their baby and I hold it to long she wants me to put the baby down so she can sit with me.
I know that she will be an amazing sister once the newness wears off but I want to know the best ways to divide my time between her and the new baby.
2007-11-02 18:03:51 · 10 answers · asked by butterfly 4 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
I agree with the first poster: make a point of spending time with JUST her... paint her nails, have picnics, make cookies... whatever it is, make sure it's just the two of you. Also, let her help pick out some baby clothes, things to put in the nursery, stuff like that. It will make her feel important and involved. Get her a doll so she can practice "playing nice" with the baby.
As soon as the baby's born, introduce him/her to family ad friends as "Anna's little brother/sister." Tape a pic of your daughter up in the baby's bassinette at the hospital, and say that the baby likes to see her. Wrap up a small gift for her, give it to her when she comes to visit you and baby at the hospital, and say that baby picked it out just for her.
Hope this helps, and congrats!
2007-11-02 22:57:19 · answer #1 · answered by Cassie B. 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Involve her in some decisions (unimportant ones)
Let her put in her opinion of baby names. But YOU are the final say on that.
Explain to her that you will be giveing the baby a lot of time. And that you hope that she can sit by you when you feed the baby or hand you a diaper when you need one.
Please don't make her feel like she is the second mother and HAS more responsibility than she can carry.
Get her a newborn-like baby doll and some little diapers a diaper bag and other things that will reflect what you are doing with the real baby. Immitating others is how children are shaped.
See if you can go places where she can come in contact with other children and babys.
Don't over prepare her or she will be neurotic about it all and so will you. For eons of generations there have been big sister and little sibblings. It works out.
2007-11-02 18:23:51 · answer #2 · answered by clcalifornia 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I read in a pediatric book, that your daughter should feel involved. So that could be taking her to the hopsital to see the new baby sibling after he or she is born. Buy a present and say it's from the new lil baby brother/sister to her.
Explanations help. Kids are pretty smart. I think there are books that you can find for children. You can explain to her why lil baby needs so much attention and tell her that when she was a baby that she was like that too. Tell her baby hasn't learned how to eat on his own yet and needs extra assistance. Also promise her some Mommy and me time. Allocate a time each day, where somebody else watches baby, and you spend some time with your daughter dressing up, reading a book, or drawing.
2007-11-02 18:11:47 · answer #3 · answered by Loreya 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since a new baby sleeps most of the time anyway you will still have plenty of one on one time with your six year old. The hard part will be once the baby gets older and makes more demands on your time. Make sure that you have at least an hour everyday to spend with just you and your daughter and make sure that she understands before the new baby gets here that she has to share you.
2007-11-02 18:10:02 · answer #4 · answered by harleysangel2000 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
just talk to her, and tell her that, although you are going to love this baby very much, that does not mean that you will stop loving her. tell her (if you are religious) that God made her first so she could help you protect and take care of the new baby. let your daughter help you with everything. but make sure not to say "will you feed the baby?" say something more like " do you want to help me feed the baby?" just let her be as much a part of the new baby's life as you are. my nephew was so upset when his little brother was born, and worse, my oldest nephew is my brother's step son, so when my other nephew was born, my mother took both of my nephews to show the baby off and kept saying that the baby was her first grandson. good luck, and i'm sure everything will turn out fine, with a lot of conversation and a lot of love between you and your daughter, things will be fine.
2007-11-02 20:55:02 · answer #5 · answered by lizbriolly's mommy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you need to spend some extra time with you're daughter before the aby comes, because after that baby comes there will be a limited time on spending time with her. But the most impotrant thing is to make sure she knows you still love her even with the baby, and you still love her the same. good luck to both of you.
2007-11-03 03:15:57 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
One suggestion that I have is to make "special time" for just the two of you. Perhaps every Saturday morning the two of you can go out for breakfast and then go shopping, go to a museum, or something fun that she would really enjoy. Make it special time for the two of you with little or no talk about the baby.
2007-11-02 18:09:08 · answer #7 · answered by M2S 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sounds like me lol trust me the WILL be fighting she may get upset but she will be fine 1st one will be the nicest trust me so after 6 the baby will hang around with sis so ya more fighting But final answer the father if any i hope may have to take the older one out some times
2007-11-02 18:13:37 · answer #8 · answered by NERD_2.0 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
let her be as involed as possible my daughters the oldest and we had her involed and got her a baby when she came to the hospital and just kept her in the mix of everything so its not such a shock!
2007-11-02 18:09:48 · answer #9 · answered by Ivana M. 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let her help with the baby alot.
2007-11-02 18:16:46 · answer #10 · answered by ipod 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋