Toddler jealous of the baby? How do you deal with this?
It is quite a lot for a toddler or preschooler when a baby suddenly enters the house. Another little child who suddenly gets all the attention, who is showered with gifts and visitors, whom everyone wants to hold and who gets to sit with mommy all day. It is not surprising that your little one is struggling with this. No matter how well you prepared him or her, sometimes that is not enough to prevent feelings of jealousy. So now what? What is the best thing to do?
You might notice that your child isn't just happy about having a little brother or sister, for example, through tantrums, wetting their pants again just after they were potty trained, only wanting to drink from a bottle just like the baby, or waking up crying at night. How do you best deal with this?
Buy a playmat
The Snoozzz play mat for your baby is extra large, measuring 150 x 100 cm. The baby play mat features crinkling flaps, teething rings, and a detachable baby mirror. This stimulates your child's sensory development. The play mat is wonderfully soft and suitable for use from birth. It is also large enough for playing together.
View the Playmat here
Give your toddler positive attention
Try to be mindful not to react angrily to your child's negative behavior. Your oldest is trying to attract attention, and that can often be negative attention. He is used to always getting all the attention and never having to wait, but that is different now. Do his parents still love him just as much? Of course, he needs to know that you shouldn't hit a baby, but this often happens out of jealousy or insecurity, so don't dwell on it for too long.
Give him positive attention when he has to wait for a moment, for example because you are breastfeeding, by involving him in what is happening. Explain to him what you are doing and that you will be finished soon and will come back to play with him. Or buy a special book that you always read together while you are feeding, but also alone. That way, that moment becomes a special moment for him too.
Taking care of the baby together with your toddler
You can let your oldest help with taking care of the baby as much as possible. Ask him for a diaper in advance or burp cloth grab the baby and give him a compliment on how well he can already help you, while the baby can't yet. How proud he will be! And if he doesn't want to help, that's fine too. Sometimes your little one doesn't always want to be the big brother or sister, but also just wants to sit comfortably on your lap and cuddle. Or use the Snoozzz baby seat! This beanbag has a special interchangeable top. Let your oldest child use the baby seat too by swapping the baby top for the included child top.That also gives your oldest child the feeling that he or she is important!
Quality time together
Occasionally, make a conscious effort to do something just with the oldest. Arrange a babysitter for the baby and head out together. A day that revolves entirely around him!
If you notice that the jealousy isn't going away but is actually only getting worse, visit a general practitioner to see how you can change this behavior together. And always keep an eye on your children when they are together. Because even if the oldest thinks the youngest is very sweet, they often don't realize how vulnerable a baby still is.
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