Category Archive: Baby preparation

Sibling Rivalry – how to show older children that they are still special too

Sibling Rivalry

A new baby in the house is an exciting time for everyone in the family, but when a child is forced to go from being the baby of the family to being the big brother/big sister, it can mean jealousy and hurt feelings. Having a new sibling is a huge adjustment for any child, but with a few simple steps you can easily keep the peace in your home.

1 – Remember gifts for the older sibling
When friends and relatives come bearing gifts, encourage them to get your older child a small present as well. This will help your older child to feel like they are a part of the excitement as well, instead of feeling like they are being left out and pushed to the side.
Encourage your guests to spend some one on one time with your older child before seeing the baby. Or you can take the time that visitors are spending with the baby and use it to have some private time with your older child.

2-Make sure both mom and dad have some special time with the older child every day
You know that life is crazy, between work and school and a newborn there seems like there is no time to breathe. But remember, your child is not able to realize the hectic schedule that you have. In addition to the family time that all of you are going to spend together, make sure that both mom and dad have some special time alone with the older child. This can mean that one parent is bathing the new baby while the other is taking the older child for a walk or one parent can read a book with the older child while the other parent is rocking the new baby to sleep. Just make sure that each parent gets a little bit of special time with each child every day.
And of course you should encourage as much “whole family” time as possible.

Sibling Rivalry3-Both parents should take the older child out for a day and pick out a ‘big brother’/’big sister gift
When mom has recovered enough, both parents should arrange a special outing with their older child while the newborn is staying with a sitter. While you are out, present your older child with a gift and tell them that it is a reward for being such a good big brother/big sister

4-Rewards for helping with the baby
Offer a rewards system for your older child. Every time they do something nice for the new baby, put a star on a special chart. At the end of every week, give your older child a special treat for all of the help they have been giving you with the new baby. This will help to encourage the bonding process between the older sibling and the newborn.
Remember, a new baby means many changes for the entire family. No parent wants their older child to feel neglected because a new baby has come into the family. Follow these simple tricks and your child will be happy to tell people that they are a new big brother/big sister.

What do you pack in your hospital bag

Preparing your hospital bag

What do you pack in your hospital bag? This is a question that most women start to ask themselves almost as soon as they realize they are pregnant. As an expectant mother, you know that giving birth brings out a wide range of emotions. You are excited to see your baby, you are nervous about the labor process, and you are stressed about making sure that the house is ready to bring your new baby home. Asking the question of what do you pack in your hospital bag is the last thing you need. Unlike some of the other things that come with pregnancy, packing your hospital bag is a stress that you can easily avoid.
First, you should remember that you aren’t just asking what do you pack in your hospital bag for you, you also need to ask yourself what should be in your bag for your baby. If the baby’s father is staying at the hospital, it is also a good idea to start asking him to think about what he should pack in his hospital bag. After all, the last thing a new father wants is to be forced to leave his newborn baby at the hospital to run home because he forgot something.

Pack for hospitalWhen you are asking yourself what do you pack in your hospital bag as the mother, then you need to remember that you will be going through labor and a night or two in the hospital after labor. So for the labor process, you will want things that will soothe your pain and help you to relax. But if you are feeling better the day after you deliver, you might be looking for something to keep you occupied while you are stuck in the hospital. Bringing a book, a CD, or anything else that you enjoy will really help you to pass the time at the hospital.

When asking yourself what do you pack in your hospital bag, you should also remember that you will need toiletries for yourself while you are at the hospital. Most hospitals have basic toiletries if you need them, but sometimes it is comforting to have your things from home with you. So you might want to bring travel sizes of your favorite lotion, shampoo, and toothpaste. Your baby will also be well taken care of at the hospital, but if there is a lotion, clothing, blanket, cap or special diapers that you want for your baby you will want to bring those with you.

Lastly, when asking yourself what do you pack in your hospital bag, you should remember that there will be many people wanting to take pictures and video of you and your new little one. You might want to bring your hairbrush, a nice nightgown, and some makeup from home. Also, you will want to remember to bring your own camera and video camera to capture those special bonding moments.

So what do you pack in your hospital bag? The real answer is that it is up to you. These things are just the basics to give you something to think about. You may find things that you want to bring with you that are not on this list. Remember, the main thing you should remember when packing your bag is that you and your baby need to be as comfortable as possible.

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