How to Prepare Your Child for a Baby Sibling

When I was expecting Fuzz, I had a lot of anxiety and sadness over how my relationship with my first child would change.

It seemed silly, but I was afraid that gaining a second child would mean losing my first child. Would his personality change? Would I love them both the same? Would he resent his new sibling, or worse, me?

The Shnook and I spent two years nursing, changing, hugging, kissing, chasing and playing all by ourselves. Bringing in the Fuzzball was bound to be a daunting experience for all of us.

This week, Babble posted a good guide to preparing your child for a new sibling. These tips can help ease the transition for the second-time parents. For me, the most useful piece was taking the time to discuss and read books with my two-year-old about what would happen when the baby comes.

Even though there was no way that Shnook could fully process the enormity of what was happening when the baby arrived, he seemed to understand it, whether he liked it or not. I'll be honest, it was not easy. Shnook had a very difficult month starting from a few days before we left for the hospital. It was hard on all of us, but we made it through. He's definitely changed, but now he loves his brother, which is yet another added amazing bonus to this thing we call parenting.

To read the comprehensive guide to preparing your child for a new sibling, head to Babble.

MORE ON BABY'S FIRST YEAR:

How to Survive Christmas With a Newborn

5 Surprising Things About New Motherhood

I Didn't Think I Wanted Another Baby Until I Got Her