A growing family can be exciting and exhilarating for all concerned. However, if you do not approach it correctly when it comes to your other kids, it can be fraught with stress, tension, and tantrums. Therefore, you must involve your kids at every turn in your baby’s development so that they are ready to meet their new sibling when it arrives and already have strong, loving ties in place.
#1 Prepare your children for new arrivals
It is important that you let your children know that another little brother or sister will be coming along in the not-too-distant future. This is so they can get used to the idea that they will share their mommy and daddy with another child. This can take some getting used to, and you may find that there are mixed emotions about this oncoming event.
Of course, older siblings with a younger brother or sister will understand a lot more than those who are currently an only child. The feeling of being pushed aside for a baby could lead to all sorts of issues, so you must keep this in mind when you (and your guests) are fussing over the new baby.
#2 Decorating and dressing the nursery
If you are aware of the gender of your new baby before it is born, decorating can be easier. However, having a surprise on the day can be nice, and fun can be had by picking out names before the baby is born. If it is a surprise that you want, you will have to think carefully about the colors that you choose for the nursery. Going too ‘girly’ can make it look like you want a girl, which can lead to difficult questions or comments should you have a boy and vice versa.
However, regardless of the color scheme you decide on, you will have to consider the chemicals involved in wall and wood paints; going for wallpaper may be the safer option. Of course, there is a vast array of different styles, colors, and patterns of wallpaper to choose from, and choosing the right one for your new baby can be a dilemma.
#3 Ensuring siblings are not left out
Of course, if you are making over your new baby’s room, you should think about making over your other kid’s bedrooms too. This can be incredibly exciting for your kids to experience, especially if you consider them old enough to choose their own color schemes and wallpaper. Undoubtedly, you will want to have the last say when wallpapering a kids bedroom, and you can do this by asking them to select their wallpaper (and color scheme) from a pre-decided assortment chosen by you and your partner.
In order to keep the happy feeling there, you can also choose to makeover the play area (or create another one) for your kids to celebrate not being the youngest in the nest. Being the big brother or sister should indeed be celebrated, and it is likely that they are not going to want to play with ‘baby toys’ anymore now that they are ‘grown up’.
Creating a permanent play den or climbing frame – even if it is one that can be added to over time and as your kids grow up, is a really good idea as it will stop any jealousy that the older kids could feel. This will allow the younger ones to enjoy the toys that are more suitable for their ages without feeling that everything is being given to the new arrival.
#4 Install additional storage facilities
Of course, with a new arrival on the scene, you are likely to require even more storage for toys and accessories. It is not fair that you should ask your other children to make way in their toy boxes for baby stuff, so you should invest in new storage solutions for your baby. Even when babies are new and not really interested in anything other than feeding or sleeping, they still seem to acquire a mountain of ‘stuff,’ including toys, so it is good to be prepared ahead of time.
Final thoughts
When preparing your home for your new arrival, ensure that you also include your other kids. Decorating their rooms after decorating the babies can ensure no distinction between them and provide them with new toys when the baby is also brought new items.
