When a baby arrives in the family and you already have one or more children, a common concern is that he or she will feel jealous of his or her new little brother or sister. Not surprisingly, it is a habitual, involuntary and complicated feeling for young children to manage.
Children are jealous when they feel that they must share their parents’ affection with the baby, whereas before they were the center of attention. They feel that their little brother is a rival to compete with to win the affection of the parents and this causes them a lot of insecurity and often sadness.
For this reason, in addition to providing all the necessary care for the newborn, a balance must be found so that the other siblings do not feel displaced. To do this, we must be alert to certain manifestations that indicate that jealousy has knocked on the door.
Patience and empathy must prevail in this situation. Put yourself in your older child’s shoes, understanding that he feels this way involuntarily and that it is a normal feeling. If he is old enough to understand you, explain to him what the arrival of his new little brother means, that there is love for everyone, that you love them both equally and that he will be a playmate, someone to protect and have a nice time with. relationship.
As much as possible, avoid making alterations to your older child’s routine, so that they have stability. For example, it is not a good idea to start taking him to kindergarten or nursery right when his little brother is born, because that will make him feel left out.
On the other hand, try to involve him in the process of caring for the baby, so that he feels integrated and that he has an important role. May he help you while you bathe him, may he be with you when you breastfeed or bottle feed him, read stories together, etc.
Finally, you must give a lot of affection to the older brother. Make sure you find time to cuddle him, play with him, and spend time together. It is also very helpful to reserve moments for him alone without the baby, so that he feels that you also have time exclusively for him. If, despite everything, the jealousy situation does not show improvement, it will be time to ask a professional for help.