Two-year-old Piper has a new baby sister. Unfortunately, she doesn't appear to be too happy about it. While she is throwing a tantrum, her father tries to ask her what she thinks of her new sister, but her answers remain pretty consistent. The video doesn't explain why she is upset, but there are a variety of possibilities: she could be tired, something else could be bothering her, or it could be she really isn't ready to have a baby sister. It can be hard for children to accept that there is a new baby in their parents' lives, but there are different ways you can prepare them and handle situations like this if they arise.
Kids Health has some suggestions for getting your current child ready for a newborn starting with when you are pregnant. One thing you can do is try to prepare your child by getting them interested in babies in general. You can do this by looking at their baby pictures and talking about when they were born, or even just having your child interact with other babies. If your child is older, you could go into more details about what it means for another child to be born.
Maintaining a routine before the baby is born can help make things feel more normal to your older child. When you need to make changes, start doing them gradually so they can get the used to the idea of change. Once the baby is born, it is good to introduce your children to each other in a more private setting so they can understand that it is a family event. When you bring the new baby home, it can help to include your other children whenever possible so they don't feel like they are being left out. If they are able, give them responsibilities involving the baby like helping push the baby in a stroller (you would probably want to help).
It is also important to not force your child to do things involving the new baby they don't want to do. This can cause more resentment where you don't want it to be. Just remember that your children just want to feel loved and wanted and everyone can be happy together. Unfortunately, it looks like little Piper, in this video, still has some time before she'll be used to the new baby. Share any other thoughts on ways to introduce a newborn to children in the comments below.
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