How I Prepared My Toddler For a New Baby
Preparing your toddler for a new baby can be quite daunting and unsettling. I was completely consumed with conflicting emotions such as excitement and sadness, as well as gratitude and uncertainty. This was a delicate time for me where I felt like all I wanted to do was cherish every moment with my toddler because I didn’t want him to feel replaced, (even though in reality I knew I was giving him a best friend for life). Our first born babies are our entire world when that’s all we know, and we question how we are going to share that same love with a new baby. I always struggled with the feeling of being immensely grateful to be growing my family, while also contemplating how in the world my love, devotion and time was going to expand? This transition most certainly looks different for every mother and every family, but here are 3 effective ways I chose to prepare my toddler for a new baby in our family:
- The first thing I did was expose my toddler to the idea of being a big brother every chance I could. I constantly read books to him about being a big brother and the role it entailed, and this became our special time together every night. I also sang songs to my son about becoming a big brother and “mommy having a new baby”. Any time we would see a baby in a stroller, I would tell my toddler, “look there’s a baby in the stroller, where’s the big brother?” I constantly talked about it. When you read to your baby it not only gives them information about the world around them, but it also helps them draw connections to their personal experiences. My hope was to familiarize my son with the idea of becoming a big brother and empower him so he would have an easier time adjusting to his new reality when the time came.
- The second thing I did was encourage small, yet tangible independent skills. I altered a few parts of my toddler’s routine. For instance, I would often sit on the couch every morning and evening with my toddler while he drank his bottle of milk. With a newborn around the corner, I knew I had to change this because I continued to imagine my toddler crying, wanting me to sit with him while he drank his milk at the same time my arms (and whole body) would be occupied nursing my baby. As a result, I would have my toddler drink his milk in a cup with a straw every morning until it was a very fluid part of his routine where he didn’t feel like I was missing. During this time I was always nearby, but not sitting directly by his side.
- The third thing I did which benefits us as parents more than it will our toddlers is to build, encourage and strengthen self feeding skills. This completely changed our ability to have a more peaceful breakfast and dinner time when I was able to plop my toddler in his high chair and have him feed himself so that I could tend to my newborn baby. I can attest to the fact that having a toddler who feeds themselves happily, will make your life so much easier when you have a baby. This takes practice, consistency and a lot of encouragement!
If you did any of these to prepare your toddler for a new baby or any others, let me know in the comments below! I would love to know for the next time around 
More from:
toddler
Leave a comment