Just as exciting as it is for everyone to welcome another new family member, but having a toddler at home may require some hard work to get them used to their new sibling, making life more challenging for the parents. This is why today we will share our thoughts with you on how long it takes for a toddler to adjust to a new baby.
It’s obvious that your older child will feel a little left out after the arrival of their younger sibling as they will not get your undivided attention anymore. This could also lead to problems such as the display of toddler tantrums and signs of jealousy.
That’s we have it all covered for you in our guide, which includes answers to all the queries running through your mind regarding how to create a bond between your children. All you just have to do is take a quick read.
How Long Will It Take for Your 2-Year-Old to Adjust to A New Baby?
Toddlers do not like to share, be it a toy, food, or even their mommies, which makes it all the more difficult for your two-year-old to adjust to a new baby.
In all honesty, it varies from child to child regarding adjustment; some take a few days to bond with their younger siblings, whereas others could take a few months. There is no specific answer.
All you can do is help your older child become closer to the baby and watch how it goes.
How to Help Toddler Adjust to The New Baby? (11 Expert Tips)
Tip 1: Your first and foremost job is to take care of the baby and teach your toddler how to interact with their younger sibling.
Teach your elder one how to talk to and play with the baby. Maybe you can get your older child to help pick a baby name for the little one to make it a little more fun.
Tip 2: Physical contact is essential when it comes to bonding, especially for younger ones.
This is why you can demonstrate different ways to your toddler on how to soothe the baby. This could involve giving the little one a pat on the back or a rub on the chest.
Tip 3: There are situations when you have to leave your children unattended for a few minutes, even if it’s to take out that almost burnt cake from the oven.
Nonetheless, at these times, you might find your toddler is about to start misbehaving with the new baby, which you have to discourage quickly. This can be done by picking up the little one and maybe singing a song, giving a stuffed animal, or offering a treat to the elder sibling.
Tip 4: Don’t blame older children for making the newborn cry or even waking them.
We tend to blame our older children for making the newborn cry or even waking them. This is something that needs to be stopped as the child’s feelings will be hurt, thinking that less priority is being given to them.
You can easily change your tone of voice and explain in a calmer manner by telling your child to watch tv by keeping the volume to the minimum.
Tip 5: Always make sure you praise your toddler when you see them soothing or playing with the newborn properly.
The elder child will feel your attention towards them. Keep in mind they are just few year old who want more attention because now they’re in a state confused that they will no longer get the love they used to get. Praising will make them feel they are doing the right thing and you still love and attentive towards them. This will encourage them to bond more.
Tip 6: Toddler tantrums and jealousy could lead to the elder one hitting or even pinching the baby.
During situations like this, you must act quickly and maybe yell out ‘no hitting’ to make your firstborn understand that it’s wrong to do so. In all honesty, you have no other option but to be firm with your older one.
Tip 7: Slowly show your toddler how you take care of the little one;
maybe you can even talk through it all so that they can learn how to look after their younger sibling
Tip 8: Give that elder child some extra love
Although this may be difficult to do, give that elder child some extra love as they may be going through sleep regression and even loss of appetite, which may go unnoticed because of your attention being divided.
In this case, I would suggest you hand over the newborn to someone else for a while and give your elder one special time and maybe read a bedtime story, take a nap next to them, or feed them the way you used to before newborn baby’s arrival.
Tip 9: Always be supportive and never say anything that will hurt your toddler’s feelings.
Avoid saying things like, ‘the newborn baby will take up all mommy’s time; now find something to keep yourself busy.’ This will not only hurt your elder child but also make them do things to get more of your attention.
Tip 10: Avoid comparing you children with one another
All of us compare our children by saying things like,’ the elder one used to cry for no reason, but the newborn is much calmer.’ Please do not do this, as it negatively impacts the feelings of your second baby, causing them to feel hatred towards their younger sibling.
Tip 11: Be patient, you can avoid much troubles with more love
Last but not least, all we need is love, love, and more love. Yes, especially our older kid needs it more with the big change of the arrival of their younger sibling.
Make sure you involve your toddler in everything that is happening with the little one. Starting from buying them little presents so they don’t feel jealous of the newborn’s new things. Maybe even giving the two children cuddles and kisses together to make them feel special and loved. It is important to remember that this activity can have a significant effect on your first born, so before doing anything, take a moment to think a little bit about how they will react to the activity.
How Do I Help My Toddler Adjust to A New Baby?
There are many ways in which you help the toddler to adjust. Still, most importantly, you must prioritize both of your children, along with showering your toddler with love and spending a considerable amount of time with them to show them that they are still special.
Why Is My Toddler Behaving Badly After a New Baby?
The simple answer is jealousy and lack of attention. Toddlers tend to feel jealous as they will not be getting all the love and care they used with the arrival of the second baby.
How Do You Deal with A Toddler Regression with A New Baby?
Don’t be two mind to ask for assist from friends and relatives when it comes to managing your little one, as you need to deal with your older child’s tantrums and other forms of regression. Hand over the baby to someone and have a talk with your toddler. Ask them what’s bothering them, or maybe a quick trip to the local park could improve things. Try to find a solution together. It will indeed work.
Final Words
There you have it, our guide on how long it takes for a toddler to adjust to a new baby. We have tried to come up with solutions to the most common problems, which we hope will help your toddler bond with their younger brother or sister.
Check out our other posts if you’re having questions while raising your baby! As a new parent, there are a lot of new things to get to know a toddler. Sometimes the child’s behavior makes you smile and laugh. On the contrary, some aggressive behavior of your baby makes you worried. Most often your baby seemed to pinch on its skin. Sometimes your baby pinches you constantly. It can be while breastfeeding or during nap time. Though this type of behavior seemed to be quite common. Rather it’s a thing to be worried about as well. So “how to stop comfort pinching?”. This may help you better understand your toddler and the baby!