Congratulations, you just gave birth to your second child! Now you’ve got two little blessings of life within your household, and you should be overcome with joy. As time goes on, you may notice that your firstborn isn’t adapting to things super well. Instead of constantly showering their little sibling with love, they’re experiencing a case of “older sibling jealousy”. Here’s why that’s completely normal and you shouldn’t worry.
A Change of Dynamics
This sibling has never before in their life had to deal with such a change in dynamics. Their entire life they’ve been doted on, taken care of, and essentially been the center of their parents’ love and attention. Now that there’s a new baby, this attention is divided, and it’s hard for them not to notice. So what you need to realize is that this is completely new to them, so they’re just working things out in real time.
The Next Step
Now that they’ve experienced their first reaction to the arrival of a new baby and thus receiving less attention, here’s how to guide them through this time. Educate them on the idea that new babies are born all the time, and that they should be proud to be able to be an older sibling to them. You should also proactively spend time with them, showing them that even though there’s a new baby around, they still aren’t getting neglected.