Preparing your preschooler for a new baby

November 7, 2:35 PMNewark Early Childhood Education ExaminerSyreeta Springer

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Getting your child on board with welcoming a new addition.
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Welcoming a new baby can be both a joyful and anxious time…whether it’s your first, second, or third round. However, what can be tricky is preparing your child for a new addition to the family.

If this is your second (or third) time expecting, that means your first child (or youngest) is used to getting all the attention. In a matter of months, they will have to deal with a myriad of emotions that is the result of the birth of a sibling. Preparing your child for this momentous occasion will take some preparation on your part and sometimes a willingness to go with the flow. Nonetheless, here are some tips you can use to help your preschooler deal with the addition of a sibling.

• Discuss your pregnancy in terms your child can understand. Don’t be alarmed if your child asks, “Where do babies come from?” Children are literal thinkers, so they will be satisfied with a simple answer such as, “From my stomach.”  If they want to know more, they will ask.
• Read books about childbirth (developmentally appropriate ones). There are great picture books available that address the subject in a very child-friendly way. Check out this list.
• Go through family albums with your child and point out baby pictures of them and yourself. Explain that everyone was a baby at one time.
• Visit friends who have infants
• Have your child help you think of potential names (This will be a fun activity. You may get names such as “princess” or “superman”).
• Have them accompany you to the doctor to hear the baby’s heartbeat or pack a bag for the hospital.
• Check out sibling birth classes that several hospitals offer to provide orientation for soon-to-be brothers or sisters.

Know that your child may act out. This is a way for them to express their feelings albeit negatively. Ultimately, they are looking for your attention. It is up to you to provide it for either negative or positive behavior. Do not bend on your rules or expectations yet try to understand the feelings that are driving that behavior.

For more detailed info, check out www.kidshealth.org. Some books to get you started: A New Baby Arrives by Nicole Barber; Mommy’s in the Hospital by M. Rosenberg; Mommy’s Lap by Ruth Horowitz; Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats; She Come Bringing Me That Little Baby Girl by Eloise Greenfield