Bringing home a new baby can be really difficult for parents. And knowing how to help your toddler adjust to a new baby can sometimes be the most difficult part! When they become big brothers and sisters, toddlers and preschoolers can become jealous, regress developmentally, become more demanding and clingy, and act out aggressively towards baby, or even towards you! It can be both frustrating and heartbreaking for parents to witness this. You just want your precious babes to love each other and get along, right? And they will (eventually!). Your toddler just needs a little bit of extra help and support as they adjust to their new role. Trying to see things from your toddlers perspective might also help.

8 tips to help your toddler adjust to a new baby:

1. It’s not the baby’s fault

Avoid using the baby as an excuse for not being able to do things. For example, “We can’t go to the park because baby needs a nap”, “We have to leave the park now because baby is crying”, “I can’t pick you up because I’m holding the baby”. This will only remind your toddler of all the things they are missing out on now that baby is here, and may cause resentment and anger towards baby. Instead, take the focus off the baby and try more general phrases like, “My hands are busy right now”, or “We’ll go to the park after lunch.”

2. Schedule in Special Time

Special time is time just for you and your toddler. It is focused and intentional, and your toddler leads the way. Try to make special time for your toddler each day, even if it’s just for 10 minutes at a time. Let them choose the activity, put away all distractions, and just focus on being with your child during that time. Make it clear that you really want to spend this time with them, and that you enjoy their company.

3. Keep your toddler occupied

Problems often occur when you sit down to feed the baby, and you’re unable to focus on your older child. Since babies get fed so frequently in the early days, your toddler might feel like they spend their whole day waiting for you to finish feeding baby! Try making baby’s feeds a quiet time for snuggling, reading a book with your toddler or watching a special show together on the couch. You may even like to put together a special box full of fun activities your toddler can do while they sit nearby. Ensure this box only comes out during feeding times so that it remains exciting, and switch out items frequently to keep your toddler interested. You could include colouring or craft supplies, playdough, stickers and stamps, activity books, puzzles, or a few special toys and teddies that your child loves.

4. Create a baby free zone

Set up a space for your toddler that is just for them, that the baby is not able to get to. Your child can take themselevs to this space when they need a break and they can keep their treasured items there too. Often when baby becomes mobile, toddlers will become very distressed by the invasion of their space. And since toddlers are still learning how to share, they may not react well to their younger sibling exploring their special toys. We all need our own space sometimes, and a baby free zone may limit some aggression and acting out during this transition period.

5. Accept all feelings

Give your toddler permission to talk about how they feel. It’s ok if they say they don’t like having a sibling. It’s ok for them to express anger and jealousy. It’s even ok for them to say they hate their younger sibling and wish they were never born. Remember, their whole word has been turned upside down by this screaming little bundle, and your toddler is still learning to exporess themselves. Rather than focusing on the words they are saying, focus on the feelings underneath. Acknowledge how they feel by saying something like, “Being a big sister/brother is so hard sometimes” or, “You really wish things could go back to the way they were.”

Resist the temptation to add a “but” to the end of those sentences, and simply listen to your child. Feeling heard and understood will allow them to process and move through their feelings. If you need some extra help teaching your child to identify and understand emotions, be sure to check out the Mindfulness for Children in the shop.

6. Read Books

Read lots of books about being a big brother or sister as well as books about emotions. Stories help children to process and understand significant events in their lives. It helps them make sense of the world and to understand their own feelings and experiences too. Using books to teach your toddler appropriate ways to express and deal with frustration and anger will help avoid some of the lashing out you may otherwise see.

7. Pay attention to triggers

Prevention is always the best cure. Notice if there are times your toddler becomes particularly aggressive with the baby and put strategies in place to stop it before it happens. For example, does the toddler lash out while you’re busy cooking dinner and baby is sitting in the bouncer? Does your toddler bite the baby when she gets excited? Is baby getting hurt when your toddler is trying to play peekaboo? Babies and toddlers need lots of supervision when they are together. Staying close by and alert, or keeping baby out of reach of your toddler when you can’t be close, will prevent a lot of aggression. It will also prevent you from having to snatch baby away quickly from an overexcited toddler, or repeatedly telling your toddler no – which will only add to the aggression, not reduce it!

8. Create realistic expectations

So often, excited parents talk to their toddlers about all the fun they’re going to have with their new sibling. They tell toddlers about how they will play together and be the best of friends. It’s well intentioned. But imagine the bitter disappointment your toddler will feel when their new sibling arrives and all it does is sleep, poop and cry! That’s not much fun for your toddler at all. Be realistic with your older child about what to expect. Explain that the new baby will sleep a lot and need lots of care when they are brand new. Let your toddler know how they can be involved in baby’s care. Can they help you bathe baby? Cuddle baby? Pat baby to sleep? Help them feel part of the team by involving them in age appropriate ways.

Above all, try to remember that this is a stressful time for your older child. If you are dealing with challenging behaviours from your toddler, like aggression, meltdowns or regression, keep in mind that this is not intentional or malicious. This is stress behaviour and your child is doing the best they can. The best thing you can do to help your toddler adjust to the new baby, is to focus on reducing their stress. Keep things as calm and consistent as possible and express to your child through your words and actions that you love and accept them no matter what. Do this, and you will all come out the other side (relatively) unscathed. You might even witness the beginnings of a beautiful sibling relationship.