A great tip for when baby #2 comes along

This afternoon I was giving a talk to a group of moms and babies about preparing for the toddler years.  This is a time when we often introduce a second child. One of the things I mentioned was that it’s not uncommon for the first child to regress when baby #2 comes along.  You might see her/him wanting to use a bottle again, or suddenly start having accidents or wanting to act like a baby.  That led to a bit of a discussion around how to handle sibling rivalry.  One of the moms in the group shared a piece of advice I thought was great. 

New babies require our constant attention and it’s often difficult for the first born child to adjust to their parent focusing so much on the baby when they were used to getting all the attention.  Typically, they’ll hear things like:  “I’ll be right with you.  I just need to change the baby” or “You’ll have to wait.  The baby needs me right now.”  The advice was to say to baby, so the oldest can hear:  “Baby, you’ll have to wait.  Sarah and I want to read a story right now” or “Baby, it’s Sarah’s turn now.  I’ll be with you in a few minutes”.  The mom that shared the advice said the person that shared it with her said it’s very effective.  I can see how it would be and how it would reduce rivalry.