Dealing with Sibling Rivalry on the Day of Your Second Child's Birth

The day that a new family member joins the family should be one of great joy and celebration. However, while baby's parents are overjoyed with the birth of a little brother or sister for their older children, an older child may not be as thrilled. Dealing with sibling rivalry on the day of your second child's birth should be something that is considered, despite the hectic activities of the day.

Sibling rivalry: How we dealt with it upon the birth of our son

When our second child was born, we were afraid that our older preschooler would feel left out since the baby was showered with presents and attention from the grandparents. We wanted to avoid sibling rivalry as much as possible, so my husband made a point of taking the time to take our daughter to Toys R Us to "pick up the present" that her baby brother had gotten her, which was a Serafina stuffed toy that responded to the Barbie Magic of Pegasus movie that she had just received for Christmas. The Serafina toy was one that she had asked for, and we wanted the present from her brother to be a toy that she would immediately love and gush over.

Our plan worked. Our daughter was so excited to get such a cool gift from her new baby brother. The movie and toy distracted her and kept her entertained while I and my son were in the hospital recovering. She still has the Serafina toy and uses it sometimes when she watches the Magic of Pegasus movie. Four years later, she remembers that she received Serafina from our son on the day that he was born. Sometimes, on long car trips, she asks to recount the events of the day that he was born. When she tells the story, Serafina always manages to figure prominently in the story line. Her brother's gift to her on his birthday, a day where traditionally only the birthday child gets presents, helped us avoid sibling rivalry issues on a very exciting and stressful day.

Sources:

Personal experience