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A natural sibling bond is not something that can be forced. It can, however, be encouraged. This post is sponsored by The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.
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I worried the kids would have a hard time bonding with our new baby. It had been 5 years since our last baby, and I just didn’t really know what to expect. Most of the kids were excited about having a new sibling, but there were a few times they shared their worries with me. My favorite came from Lincoln
What if the baby sucks on my toys?!
It’s been 9 months since Harold joined our family, and life has been pretty blissful. Anytime the kids are feeling down, they seem to find a way to smile by spending a little time with their baby brother. The sibling bond I see each of them developing is heartwarming.
Most mornings it’s a race between the kids to get to Harold when they hear even the tiniest little peeps. The younger kids are allowed to hang out with him until Mom gets there. Their latest favorite is to climb in the crib with him. Now that he can sit up, he thinks it’s the best way to wake up too.
Venice has been allowed a bit more responsibility. Now that she’s 11, I’m working on trusting more. I’ve been hovering for 11 years, and now I need to trust that she can make good decisions. This is the first and most important tip when encouraging a natural sibling bond.
She can get him up.
Learning to trust her to carry Harold was probably the hardest part of letting go of her baby years. Teach your older kids how to hold a baby, with practice and supervision, eventually you’ll know they can safely transport baby from room to room. This becomes super helpful when I’m dealing with tantrums from other kids. Those first smiles when Harold wakes up are a treat I can’t keep to myself. By allowing the other kids to enjoy his happy attitude allows them to bond while in their best moods.
Get him dressed.
Older kids, especially my girls, love picking out clothes for their younger siblings. When they are a baby this is a great time for them to bond over fashion. Trusting their fashion sense…well, it’s pretty easy when most of the baby’s clothes already match. Even if they don’t, let them enjoy this special time. It will be something they can bond over through the years as they dress each other up for Halloween, the First Day of School, Picture Days, and just for fun days.
Even change his diaper.
Not her favorite part of becoming responsible, but an important step in learning to be helpful. I feel that changing a diaper helps kids grow close together. Sounds silly, I know, but when you have to spend time caring for someone who can’t care for their own body yet, there’s a certain love that grows.
Parent’s Choice new Premium Line of diapers has made it easier for me to trust the kids – all of them, not just Venice – change Harold’s diaper. The time-to-change indicator helps the kids know exactly when his diaper is ready to be changed. On top of the savings we get from Walmart’s diapers, this keeps us from going through diapers too fast.
Yes, I had kids claim he needed a change, just because he was crying. By showing them how the yellow line changed to blue when it needs changing, this has helped immensely. Now I can make dinner, the kids can bond with Harold, AND we can save money all at the same time!
At a fraction of the cost of other leading diaper brands, Parent’s Choice Premium Diapers offer quality and value that every parent needs in a diaper. This new line also features an anti-leakage barrier around the legs. This is KEY when encouraging a bond between siblings because NO older sibling will want to change a diaper that has leaked all over the place.
Trust me on this one – when diapers explode the kids will not change it – a problem we have not had since switching to the Premium line.
Encourage a natural Sibling Bond, by trusting your older kids and allowing them opportunities to be responsible for their younger siblings.
I loved this post. Simple, every day ideas to include the older sibling and join in the daily rituals with the new baby.
Great points! Encouraging your older child to be involved and help with the new baby, or babies in my case, is so important. My daughter was only 28 months when I had twins, but from the beginning, I tried to get her involved and playing with them. Now 6 years later, they are all the best of friends.
Great ideas. Mine are all much younger. Tandem nursing really helped things go smoothly.
Thank you Adelina for your Encouraging Natural Sibling Bond. Your family bond seems so natural and endearing. I like how the kids are able to choose Baby Harold’s outfits.
How did you get your children to Want to change diapers?
Most children would prefer the fun stuff like playing with toys… ๐
Carolyn I have no idea!! I’m just so glad that they will.
Thank you for your reply Adelina. I’m glad too- wish I had more children who were willing to change diapers when I need extra sleep. ๐
My children are 8 years apart, so when my son was young my dentist (yes, my dentist !) suggested that they bond with each other at his office so that they find comfort in one another during stressful situations.
This was brilliant! Thank you.
So much good info. Iโve bookmarked this article for my sister. Sheโs not expecting at the moment, but this will be very useful for when she is.
Alicia Wallace recently posted…Best Wipe Warmer 2018 : Proper Guide to Find The Right one!
Hi Adelina,
I am a stay at home mom of a 3-year-old girl & we are planning for another baby. Your opinions are awesome & this will help a lot!
Kelly