I love those Facebook videos that pop up in my feed from time to time. You know the ones … mum sits little Billy down on the couch and hands him a fancy looking box. Woohoo! He’s thinking … surely there is some Lego in here.

Ah, sorry to break it to you Billy. But you’re not going to find the latest Star Wars Droid set wrapped up in that box.

SURPRISE! It’s a new t-shirt.

And it says ..

I’M GOING TO BE A BIG BROTHER!

Oh it’s a moment isn’t it! Definitely worth capturing on video and sharing all over Facebook for the enjoyment of others if you ask me.

But seriously, what a moment for a little person to digest. The reactions are real … the good and the bad. So many feelings for everyone involved. Least of all the smallest members of your family.

So just how DO you prepare your child for the arrival of a sibling?

A t-shirt is a lovely start, but here are some other ideas that will help with the transition that should make things easier for the whole family.

Keep it on a level

It’s a good idea to keep things calm and simple when you’re first sharing the news with your little ones. Too much fanfare and you might not get the reaction you are looking for. If you’re going from one child to two, they won’t really have any understanding of what impact it will have on their lives so gently does it!

Get them involved

It’s a learning experience for everyone involved, so keeping your little one in the loop and a part of the decision-making process will help! Give them some ownership or input into nursery themes, outfits, purchases and more. They’ll love feeling as though they are having some say in it all.

Be sensitive about their space

The week that baby arrives probably not the best time to make any big changes like moving your little person out of their room or into the big boy bed. These things need time so make sure you make any transitions in advance so that the arrival of baby doesn’t cause upheaval in all areas of their little world.

Books

It seems simple but they really do help, particularly for the toddlers and primary schoolers! My little one loved Lucy Cousin’s book Za-Za’s Baby Brother and we read it over and over and over before our new bub arrived. She still poked him in the eye the first time she met him but she was only 18 months old so, it makes sense I guess.

One-on-one time

This one is a given, but it really is a great time to tune into your little people and give them some undivided attention, particularly if they are feeling insecure or aren’t too keen on the new baby news. Lots of reassurance about just how important they are about how great they’ll be as a helper with their sibling arrives.

Questions

It’s great to talk to your little one about what will happen when baby arrives, but don’t forget to ask them if they have any questions. It’s hard to predict exactly what they do and don’t understand about what’s happening and you’ll be surprised by what they ask!

Get the family on board

Grandma, it’s your time to shine! If you’re going to be relying on family to help during the first few weeks and months after bub arrives, get them involved in advance so that your little one doesn’t feel too out of routine when you get busy. It will help that they have solid, loving relationships with friends and family around them.

Taking sibling images with your newborn baby is a really important part of what we do here at Aurora Joy Photography. Those images are truly precious and we make sure to include them in every session where siblings are involved.

It’s not always easy and if you’re bringing along a toddler, we understand your anxiety! Sibling shots can take a bit more time and creativity to capture but fear not. I’ve been doing this long enough and have a repertoire of strategies to help us make the process as smooth as possible.

But … let’s just throw this one in for good measure …

Lego

If all else fails, buy Billy the Lego. A little bit of bribery can certainly go a long way.

Aurora Joy Photography – Melbourne Newborn Photographer

Email info@aurorajoyphotography.com.au for session information

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