Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

I read an article many years ago that really stuck with me. The article was about bringing a new baby home and how to empathize with older siblings. The article compared the feeling to how a wife would feel if her husband brought home a new wife.

Give this some thought. Imagine that you’re the wife in this scenario. All your husband talks about is what is going to happen when the new wife comes home. Your closest friends throw her parties and give her presents. Your husband buys her a whole new wardrobe and gushes over every outfit. You know that she is younger than you are, and people are going to think she is so cute. And worst of all—she is going to use some of your things. She’ll take most of your husband’s time and attention, you’ll have to watch your husband hold and kiss her, and she may even end up sleeping in your room!

I’ve often used this article as a reference when helping parents prepare their child for a new sibling coming home. I really think it does a great job in putting things in perspective. A new baby can be an easy transition for an older sibling—the key is preparing a child in advance of what to expect. This BabyCenter article does a great job addressing this issue according to the age of the older sibling.

Best of luck bringing home baby and Parent On!

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