I was sitting on my bed, nursing a day-old Karenna, when Avelyn toddled into the room, sleep-eyed from an afternoon nap. She took one look at the tiny baby latched onto me and began to weep. And wail. And clamor onto my lap, pushing her sister away. And cry so hard she started to dry heave. It was as though the gravity of the situation hit her all at once and she realized I wasn’t just her mommy anymore and that sharing kind of sucked.
Oh, what a memory.
Thankfully, Avelyn got over the initial trauma of meeting her baby sister and went on to become a wonderful big girl who gently doted on Karenna, helped me with feedings, and enjoyed having a little one around.
I haven’t given much thought to how best to prepare Karenna for her descent into middle-childhood, since she’s already so used to having to share my attention. I hope it won’t be such a drastic introduction when she meets her new sister, but there very well may be some jealousy issues that crop up. We’ve been talking about the new baby and how she can be my helper but since she’s so young, I don’t think she’ll really get it until this new (still unnamed) child is in our home.
Did you do anything especially helpful to ease the transition for your older child(ren) when the new baby joined your family?
*Photo by Gia Zatuchny
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my baby “brought” a babydoll stroller with her as a gift for her older sister and her favorite doll. we didn’t explain how she brought the stroller with her although it felt like it came out with her! 🙂
I am not a parent yet but I saw the sweetest thing on the train today. Two parents were traveling with their children, an older boy and two twins. One parent asked the older boy (who was less than two years older than his two 18mnth siblings) “Who has two babies?” and the boy replied “I DO” and smiled to himself.
Maybe spin it for Karenna that she will have a “baby” too, just like Avelyn does.
I am interested to read any comment suggestions you get on this, I can’t even imagine how it’s going to be for Isabelle to go from Sooooo much attention to Boom here’s two babies to share it with. I remember my brother and sister inlaw bringing presents home from the hospital that his baby sister had ‘bought’ for him. He was 2 and was super excited and they have always been close and no jelousy issues, that could be his personality though more than the gifts. Right now we talk about it with Isabelle already but when she tells us she’s kissing the babies and kisses Andy’s tummy I get a pretty clear idea of how much she really understands.