How to Introduce a Toddler to a New Baby

Bringing home a new baby is a change for everyone who lives in the household. It can be especially stressful for a toddler who is used to being an only child and getting all of his parents attention. A toddler may be too young to prepare for a new brother or sister when his mother is pregnant because he cannot fully understand that the baby in her belly is going to be a new person who will be living in the home.

There are some things parents can do to help ease the transition for a toddler from only child to older sibling. When first bringing the baby home parents should include the toddler in the homecoming celebration. A big brother or big sister present can be purchased before the baby is born and given to the toddler on the day Mommy and Baby come home from the hospital. Though a newborn demands a lot of attention and Mommy may be tired in the first few days home she should try and let Daddy take the baby for a little while so she can spend some alone time with the toddler. It is important that a mother tells her toddler how much she loves him and how much she missed him when she was in the hospital. Both parents should tell the toddler often that they have more than enough love to go around and they love him just as much as they ever have. Lots of hugs and kisses will help to prove this and should be given generously.

Letting the toddler help take care of the baby can help him feel more comfortable with and loving toward his new brother or sister. Obviously a toddler cannot pick up a newborn or hold them on his lap, but there are simple tasks that he can do. For instance, if the baby is bottle fed the toddler can hold the bottle while the baby is in Mommy's arms and feed the baby. The toddler can get Mommy a diaper if the baby needs changed or throw the diaper away afterward. When the toddler helps with the baby Mom and Dad should praise him and tell him how proud of him they are.

It is important to pick your battles when dealing with a toddler after the birth of another child. No matter how hard parents try they will not be able to give him 100% undivided attention as he was used to in the past. If the baby is being fed the toddler may have to wait a few minutes for his snack or a new puzzle to be taken off of a shelf. This will most likely lead to the toddler acting out in jealousy. If the toddler does something that is dangerous to himself or someone in the household then disciplinary action such as time-out should be taken, If the child does something like rip a page in a book because Mommy cannot read to him right that second then that might be something a parent can let go. It is not appropriate behavior but it is not the worst he could do and it will not help the situation to yell at the toddler all day. Letting some small behaviors go might help make the behaviors disappear faster. Because jealousy is an issue a toddler should never be left alone in a room with the baby. He may hurt the baby without realizing he is doing it.

I recently had a baby girl when my son was nineteen months old. For about a week after we came home from the hospital my son would not look at the baby and was not very friendly toward me. He would hug and kiss his Daddy while looking at me to make sure I knew he was mad. I just kept sneaking hugs and kisses and telling him how much I loved him and slowly he and I regained our closeness.

At first he did not like his sister very much. We had to be very careful when he was around her because he would try to push her out of her swing and pull her out of my arms. He was never successful because we never left him alone with her and stopped him right away. He was mad at her for changing everything. Gradually he started to warm up to her and would sit next to me when I would feed her. Then he tried holding the bottle when I fed her. Then one day he grabbed her diaper after I changed her, threw it in the garbage and clapped his hands in pride afterward. I praised him happily and things just got better and better,

My toddler now loves his baby sister. If she is in her swing and her blanket falls off he will gently put it back on her. He likes to have her hold his finger in her hand and he is always giving her kisses on her forhead. We are so proud of both of our kids and are filled with joy when we see our son lavishing love on his sister.