How To Help Children Overcome The Jealousy Of The Newborn

Helping children overcome jealousy is a way to ensure that it does not turn into something more complicated. Jealousy is common in children, but it can be worrying for parents who find it difficult to manage.

There are many reasons why children feel jealous, but the main one is the arrival of a new little brother or little sister.

Jealousy in children does not have to be seen as something negative. In fact, it is a reflection of the child feeling that it belongs to the family, and worries about losing the parents’ love and care. It is still important to talk about these feelings.

Parents often worry that their child is jealous of their little brother or little sister, but most fail to prepare them for when the new baby arrives. Preventing jealousy is as important to parents as it is to relieving emotions when they arise.

Let us reflect on some ways to help children overcome jealousy and their fears.

How to facilitate the adaptation process

We know that not all children react in the same way to a new sibling. Some will show jealousy, while others will hide it. Some children will not feel jealous at all.

Therefore, it is important to talk to the children before their little brother or little sister arrives, and help them adapt to this change in life.

Before the child is born, the older children must be aware of the changes that are taking place. They may not have thought about how their lives will change, so it’s important to tell them.

The care and attention that the newborn needs will take up a lot of your time and energy. Do not let it take you to bed.

We can not tell children how they should feel about a new child. Be patient, understanding and tolerant of their feelings. Your child can get over the jealousy quickly. Pay attention, but do not worry too much about it.

When the baby is home, the baby will better understand what you have told. It is now time to help them adapt to the situation.

Some families choose to limit or monitor the contact between the children until the older child’s emotional state has stabilized.

Help your child overcome jealousy

It may not be that easy. Children do not change so quickly, especially if they do not receive the right guidance. Patience and love are important to help them overcome jealousy.

To help older siblings overcome the jealousy of the new baby, you can follow these tips:

• Encourage the older child to spend more time with their brother or sister. Let the child keep the baby – of course always under supervision.

• Make sure family and friends also pay attention to the older child and not just focus on the newborn.
• Avoid letting the baby take over the baby’s space. Do not force it to give up its bedroom or personal space to the baby.
• Give the child daily individual attention so that he does not feel excluded. Try to continue with some of the activities you have always done together.
• Accept that the child may return to a behavior that is typical of a younger child for a period of time, such as asking for the baby bottle. It is best to give in to these demands without showing much interest.
• Show consideration for both children. Do not neglect any of them. At the same time, you must not spoil the jealous older sibling, because then you may think that what it does is good.
• Try not to shout at your older child if it is too harsh when playing with the baby. Talk to the child clearly about what is acceptable and what is not.

• Getting the older sibling to take care of the newborn can be rewarding. It helps the baby to bond with the newborn. It can also begin to see that the baby has certain needs that require more attention.
• Your child will appreciate if you give it some kind of privilege for older children.

Depending on how old the baby is, it will be able to adapt fairly quickly to the arrival of the new baby, but be wary of inappropriate or excessive behavior.