13 Signs Of A Jealous Sibling

[ajrsmom]

13 Signs a Sibling is Jealous of the New Baby
by Cindy Nurik, Ed.D. for Mommy & Me

Not everyone welcome’s the stork’s arrival with open arms. Young siblings are often apprehensive about a new baby joining the family fold and worry that they’ll go from being the star of the show to playing second fiddle. Signs that your child is jealous (or even resentful) of the new baby include:


• Clinging

• Thumb-sucking

• Avoiding contact with the baby

• Verbal rejection

• Regression in toilet training

• Food spills

• Wanting the baby’s bottle

• Playing alone

• Resisting bedtime

• Temper tantrums

• Hitting

• Biting

• Abuse of pets


Here are some more ways you can make the adjustments easier and more fun for everyone. This special time you spend together growing closer will last a lifetime!

• Spend time role-playing with your child. Buy your older child her own baby doll that is just for her to play with. Teach her that a newborn baby is very tiny and delicate. Let her practice holding, feeding, bathing and diapering the baby. The two of you will have fun playing mommy! Praise her for a job well done!

• Decorate the nursery together. When you decorate the nursery, let your child draw or paint a special picture to hang near the diapering table. This will not only let him feel included in all the preparation, but he will take pride in making something special for his new baby.

• Enroll your child in a new-sibling class. Most hospitals have new sibling programs for families expecting a new addition. Children love to attend these classes. They’re fun and the children learn a lot about becoming a big sister or brother. Also, being with other children in the same situation helps them feel supported. After the class is over, go for some ice cream or a special treat!

• Encourage involvement. There will be a great deal of disruption when you bring the new baby home. Let your toddler help out as much as possible. Even though you do all the right things to prepare her, expect some regression. She may revert to baby talk, or want to have her bottle back. This is a natural response, and it will not last very long. Allow her to indulge playfully in this behavior, rather than scolding or punishing her. Be sure to continue to cuddle, hold, hug and kiss your toddler even more than you did before. Reserve special one-on-one time just for the two of you. Whether you play, read or have a meal together, this special time will go a long way toward maintaining the bond the two of you have already built throughout the years.

• Read together. Children love being read to, especially when the story is about them. Take a trip with your little one to the library or a local bookstore and find the many books about becoming a big brother or sister. Enjoy the feeling of closeness that spending time reading together will bring.

As you can see, there are many ways to prepare your child for the new arrival. Understanding and being aware of the challenges that lie ahead will make this transition in your life more enjoyable for you and your entire family.

From: Parenthood.com (added by moderator)

[Miss Money Penny]

My 5th oldest went through a short-lived stage of toilet training regression, after being trained ahead of his baby brother. The two are only 13 months apart, so went through all of the baby stages together (diapers, bottles, etc), so when Tyler didn't have diapers anymore like his baby brother, he reverted back to soiling and wetting his pants, occasionally timing it just right so as to coincide with me changing Tanner.

In the beginning I found myself putting Tyler back in diapers again for his actions, which, sometimes lasted for a short period of time (a matter of an hour or two), while other times lasting for the entire day if I was busy or frustrated. For night-time, I changed Tyler back into diapers at the same time I changed Tanner for the last time before bedtime.

With me and my daughters changing Tanner regularly, Tyler (I'm assuming) felt left-out of the diapering picture, and the only way for him to gain the missing attention he was so used to and desired, was to soil and wet his pants.

Kids are super-smart that way and deserve more credit than we parents tend to give them at times. Knowing his stinky or sagging pants wouldn't go unnoticed by me or my daughters, and, knowing how cross I'd get at his deliberate messing and/or wetting, there was good chance (and he knew it) that he would be put back in diapers again for his deed, so it was a win-win situation for him.

Thankfully, Tyler's wetting and soiling escapade lasted for only a few weeks, at which time I got him extra involved with helping with the baby (fetching me diapers and things at change time), and with positive encouragement and reinforcement, he quickly moved past his old ways and was no longer interested (or happy) wearing diapers like a baby, particularly after I introduced him to his very own special "big boy pants"!

No more having to lay down inside the crib (like a baby) to be changed... no more diaper pins... no more rubber pants... and no more big fat uncomfortable lumpy, bumpy, bulky diapers. What's more... he took a shine to running his baby brothers (changed) diapers and rubber pants off to the bathroom where the plastic diaper pail awaited, knowing he was in charge of opening the lid and dropping the wet and dirties inside all by himself! "All done mommy"!