When little Marcelo arrived last month, Spokesmom.com‘s Ali Landry didn’t know how her daughter 4-year-old daughter Estela would react.
Luckily for us, our Hollywood supermom and Perezitos.com contributor tells what she did wrong AND right to deal with sibling rivalry, jealousy and keeping Estela from feeling left out.
Ali says:
Been reading up on it and trying to prepare for it by explaining to Estela what it would mean to be a Big Sister, but nothing really made her ready until the baby was actually born. It has been a big adjustment for her, not being the center of attention anymore and not having Mommy and Daddy all to herself.
At first I tried to buy her presents, splurging on beautiful princess dresses and toys to make up for “neglecting” her, but I quickly realized that that was not the way to go. She doesn’t need or want a bunch of expensive things; all she wants is to spend time with us. Just doing simple stuff like playing games, reading stories or cuddling are exactly what she craves.
Quality time with us is so much more effective and meaningful than showering her with gifts, so I try to have someone help me and take the baby for a while so I can give her some one-on-one time. I think it is also important to let her express herself, listen to her feelings and let her know that it’s OK to feel the way she does and that things will get better; it just takes some time for everyone to adjust. However, let me be clear that I am no expert and am still in the midst of figuring this all out myself. This is my first time dealing with this issue and I am still trying to learn more about it and find out what works for our family. I’d love to hear from Moms who have dealt with this before and get their advice.
So far, it seems like you’re doing a great job with handling sibling rivalry, Ali.
If you have tips on how to deal with a toddler being jealous of a new baby, share them with us on SpokesMoms.com
And don’t forget to keep up with Ali via Twitter @AliLandry
-
Categories
