**Collaborative post**
Pregnancy is always an exciting time, but it is also full of changes. Even if you have had multiple children before, each and every baby is truly unique – and you won’t experience pregnancy in the same way twice. However, while you yourself will also be undergoing plenty of changes – this is also a particularly turbulent time for your children – especially if they have no other siblings.
With that in mind, it is important that you take certain steps to make the process a little easier than everyone. Here’s some advice to get you started.
Ensure that you are ready to grow your family. Welcoming a new member into your family will always be exciting, but it is essential that you are ready to welcome them into your home. While there is never the ‘perfect’ time for this kind of thing, it’s important that you are in a comfortable position and are ready for the turbulence that comes along with a new child – this can make the process easier for the whole family. If you aren’t quite ready for a new child, there are plenty of different birth control options available, and you can find out more about them here.
Talk to them throughout the pregnancy. Though many parents prefer to keep their pregnancy a secret in the early stages, it’s vital that you start talking to your children as early as possible. This can help them prepare for any changes that are about to happen. Thankfully, there are plenty of resources available online that can help make this conversation easier – presenting information in a way that is easy for children to understand.
Ask them to help pick a name. Choosing a name for your baby can be incredibly difficult – and many parents don’t decide until the moment they see their child for the first time. However, you can broaden your choices by asking your child to throw a few names into the mix too. This is a great way to help them feel as though they are involved in the process – and they may even come up with some brilliant suggestions (if you’re willing to name your child after a Paw Patrol character).
Spend quality time with them. The biggest concern that many children deal with when welcoming a new member into the family is that they will feel left out. After all, with the new baby receiving so much care and attention, it’s easy for them to feel as though they’ve been sent to the sidelines. One way in which you can combat this by ensuring that you still spend plenty of one-on-one time with each other – whether that means spending time outdoors or reading them their favourite book each night.
Get things ready together. When bringing a baby home for the first time, you’re going to have to have things set up and ready to go. From high chairs to prams to cots – it needs to be set up ahead of time. Therefore, you can kill two birds with one stone by involving your child in the process. Have them help you pick out certain items – such as clothes and bedding – or even help you set stuff up in the baby’s bedroom. The more involved they are in the process, the better prepared they are to welcome the child into the home – as they know what to expect.
Let them know how important their role is. Being a big brother or sister is a big deal – and it is a title they will carry with them into adulthood. You can help your child feel excited about being an older sibling by letting them know just how important this role is. By adding value to their contributions and actions, you can help them move quickly from the baby of the family into a position that comes with a little more responsibility.
Be prepared for them to act out. Change is scary for everyone – but it can be particularly hard to deal with when you are younger. Therefore, whenever you are welcoming a new child into the family, you should be prepared for your other children to act out now and then. Whether they are kept awake by the sound of a crying baby or want a bit more attention – anticipating this behaviour means that you can work to a solution much quicker. However, it is important that throughout the process, you let your child know they can talk to you no matter what – and that their feelings are always valid.
