editors' tips: adjusting to the new baby / part 1
I was just about to give birth to my second son, and I wasn't sure how to handle the new baby and my two-year-old, Alex, meeting for the first time. I'd heard about giving the older child a present from the new baby, which seemed like a sound idea. But then our doctor suggested a couple of details to add to that concept, which were especially sweet and successful. She told us to put the present in the hospital bassinet (there's usually a compartment down below), to place a picture of Alex inside the bassinet wall for the baby to "look at," and to NOT have the baby in the room when Alex walked in for the first time. The introduction couldn't have gone more smoothly: When Alex arrived, my husband and I took him to the nursery to pick up the baby. He was so excited to see his own photo in the bassinet and even more psyched about the giant stuffed Nemo underneath. More importantly, he felt like a real insider-like we were all going to accept this new creature into our life together, and like the baby knew about his big brother just as Alex knew about his little brother.
The bliss continued for a couple of days before there were new growing pains to remedy. Stay tuned for more "adjusting to the new baby" adventures.
Have a tip or trick to share? Email us!
Life with two can be an adjustment, especially if you have them close to two years apart. Mine are 16 months apart and it's been a fun rollercoaster ride. I'm actually writing a book about having kids closely spaced. See here: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/parenting/2008/04/bunching_up_babies.html