Are you having a new baby? Congratulations! If you have older children you will want to be sure to give them plenty of attention, as well, since a new baby can bring with it complication along with joy.
You may find that your older children feel jealous of the newborn.
This is natural.
When parents have a new baby they are inclined to spend more time caring for him or her.
This can make them see the new baby as a rival.
It's your job as a parent to make sure your older children know that they are loved just as much as the new baby.
Tell them how important they are and spend time with them.
Let them know that they have a new role as big brother or sister.
What you can do is let them go shopping with you for gifts for the newborn.
Let the kids pick out the items and present them to their new sibling.
Always spend quality time with them.
Don't let yourself get overly preoccupied with the new baby.
True he or she will have more needs because of their age, but your older children need you, too.
Try to spread your time over the whole family so others don't get jealous.
You may want to make them feel special by getting them a T-shirt proclaiming their special status as big sister or brother.
This is great way to make them feel special and loved.
It will let the whole world know what role your older children play in the family dynamics and make them proud to be apart of it.
It should squelch their feelings of jealousy.
Whatever you do, don't force them to care for your newborn.
That's your job.
You can encourage them to want to care for the new baby but if they resist, let it go.
Take it slow and things will work themselves out.