The arrival of a new family member is a real revolution in family life. Already the period of pregnancy can be tiring for the mother-to-be, and can also be associated with various health problems. The birth of a child, on the other hand, is a beautiful and groundbreaking moment, but also a difficult one for the whole family. An infant requires constant care and attention, while with older children it can be downright troublesome – older siblings may feel rejected, especially when parents, grandparents pay more attention to the newborn.
Another challenge is also how to tell a child about a sibling. Communicating the news to a child that he or she will have a sibling should always be age-appropriate. What is the best way to do this?
When to tell a child about a sibling?
It’s worth choosing the right moment to talk about siblings – don’t put it off indefinitely, lest the child finds out from someone else or accidentally from adult conversation. The child may also notice on his own that something is different, if only by seeing mom’s changing body. At the same time, it should not be done too quickly – parents should first cool down on their own, get used to the arrival of a new offspring and approach the conversation with their older child without emotion. In addition, in the early stages of pregnancy there is a risk of complications or miscarriage, which is why most psychologists recommend that the conversation with the child should be carried out in the second trimester of pregnancy.
Siblings are an important change in a child’s life
This is a major change, so the choice of words in the conversation plays an important role. First consider how to tell a 3-year-old about a sibling – such a toddler can be spared the details of the pregnancy or birth process. This can be presented in a somewhat fairy-tale convention. The child also needs peace of mind and security from the parents – it is worth taking care of this and reassuring the child at all times that he is and will always be loved.
And how do you tell a 5-year-old about a sibling? Here you can already explain in a little more detail when the child will have a baby brother or sister, and what will change in the life of the whole family. It is worth explaining that the beginnings can be difficult – the baby will require a lot of involvement, he will be very delicate, so you need to watch out for him, but over time the relationship with the older sibling will get better and stronger.
How do you prepare a child for the arrival of a sibling?
Preparing for the arrival of a new family member at home can be challenging for parents, but there are proven ways to make it easier.
First of all, it is worth talking to the child – make sure to give him all the attention, so during this time do not check the phone, do not watch TV, do not take care of other duties. The child may feel anxiety about the new situation, and this is completely understandable. In the conversation, you can refer to your own memories or experiences related to childhood and having a sibling – our child will certainly be interested in the fact that parents were also once small and also experienced dilemmas related to the appearance in the world of a younger sibling.
A great support in accustoming the child to the new situation can be fairy tales or books whose characters are also expecting a younger sibling. Reading such a fairy tale to a child before bed or during the day will allow him to notice that he is not alone in such a new situation. The child can identify with the characters of the story, and after reading the fairy tale you can talk together about feelings, emotions and just fears.
It will be a very good idea to make preparations together to welcome a sibling home. With an older child we can go shopping for a layette for the newborn. Let our little one choose the color of the sleepwear or rattle for the future little brother or sister. Such activities will allow the child to feel more “grown up”, and at the same time prepare for the coming change in the life of the family.
Siblings in kindergarten
Kindergarten Butterfly 3 offers its charges two forms of stay: statutory stay (several hours) and full-day stay, where you can also choose from a wide range of interesting preschool additional activities such as acrobatics, karate or robotics.
Full-day stay is much more than that – it is also the implementation of the program provided by the Ministry of Education, care of qualified teaching staff, a psychologist and speech therapist, full board consisting of healthy and nutritious meals, or additional activities such as corrective gymnastics, eurhythmics and learning two foreign languages.
To meet the needs of families with many children, our kindergarten has prepared an attractive offer: enrolling a second or third child in the kindergarten is associated with a large discount in the monthly fee. So if siblings are of similar age, then you can enroll them in the same kindergarten, which will undoubtedly have a positive impact and allow the children to better find their way in the new environment. Offered by our facility adaptation classes is, in turn, an interesting idea addressed to parents who are considering enrolling their children in our kindergarten. This allows children to see for themselves what kindergarten classes are like, and parents – to see if our offer will be satisfactory for their child. Children can participate in adaptation activities with their parents.
Being an older brother or sister is an extremely responsible task. Children usually like to play together or take care of their siblings, because then they feel needed, big enough, treated more maturely by their parents. However, this does not always happen right away – the child may need time to understand the new situation, to get used to the fact that he is no longer an only child.
When thinking about how to tell a 4-year-old about a sibling, you also need to pay attention to choosing age-appropriate words, all the while assuring what will never change – that is, the parents’ love for their first child.
In the case of older children, it can be more difficult just to accept a situation in which parents devote more time to their other child, because he requires care in feeding, bathing or changing. In such situations, it is necessary to give the older child time, to talk to him often about how he is feeling, but also not to neglect his needs.
