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Preparing your older child for the new arrival |
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Thursday, 30 May 2013 16:42 |
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How to prepare
There's nothing quite as joyous as bringing home a baby, but it can shift the family dynamic, especially if you already have a first child at home. If she's still too young to understand the concept of having a new sibling, expect jealousy, confusion, and even anger. Before and after the baby arrives, take these steps to help your older child adjust to the new family member and welcome her sibling with open arms.
Enlist Their Help
Older siblings love being "big helpers." Get them involved in choosing items for the baby before she arrives. Let them pick out a baby blanket and decide what color to paint the room. After the baby is home, assign simple tasks to your older child, such as picking out the baby's pj's or handing you a burp cloth during feeding and a diaper during changing time. By getting involved in caring for the younger sibling, your older child will feel more included and less jealous.
Role-Play Responsibilities
Some kids -- especially girls -- will enjoy having a baby doll of their own to care for, suggests Tanya R. Altmann, M.D., a pediatrician in West Lake Village, California, and author of Caring for Your Baby and Young Child. While you change the baby, have your older child mimic what you're doing on her doll. She can feed the doll (with a toy bottle) and pretend to burp it after. Or give her a better sense of what to expect by reading books. Curl up with The New Baby by Mercer Mayer or I'm a Big Brother or I'm a Big Sister by Joanna Cole.
Pour Out the Praise
Make a fuss about all the things your older child can do that the baby can't do yet -- such as reading books with Mommy, going for walks with Daddy, or even eating yummy foods like ice cream and pizza. This will help him realize that although the baby is new and unique, he's special in his own way, too. Of course, it's important to say positive things about the baby -- saying "She just smiled for the first time!" or "She finally slept through the night!" might help your older one establish a sense of pride in her little sister or brother.
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Saturday, 18 May 2013 15:36 |
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Head Cold, Stomach Flu, Influenza
Every parent dreads their child getting sick, even if it’s “just” a cold. At best, you have a child not feeling well, not eating or sleeping well—a child missing school and parents missing work. At worst, a cold occasionally develops into something more, requiring a visit to the doctor and medical attention. What’s an overworked, sleep-deprived parent to do? Well, here are some facts and practical tips to help keep your family healthy this cold and flu season.
First, a little primer. Colds and flu are caused by viruses, not bacteria. Viruses are one type of germ that infects cells and makes us ill. Here are some common illnesses from viruses:
Head cold. Many colds are caused by rhinoviruses. Rhino means nose in Greek, so these are viruses that infect the nose. We get runny and stuffy noses when we have colds because that is where the virus is setting up shop.
Stomach flu. Rhinoviruses are actually one of a group of viruses called enteroviruses. Entero means intestine in Greek. These viruses infect our gastrointestinal tract, causing sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea—an illness some people call the stomach flu.
Influenza. A stomach “bug” is different from the actual flu, which is caused by the influenza virus. Influenza comes from the Italian word for influence of the stars. In medieval Europe, people thought outbreaks of colds and flu were caused by the movement of the stars.
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