11 Things to do with your Firstborn Before Second Baby

The leap from one to two children is exciting but at the same time, it requires a lot of preparation. But the preparation this time is different from the preparation taken on the first issue.

Why should you spend more time with your firstborn before the second child arrives?

Spending more time with your firstborn will make her happy
Spending more time with your firstborn will not make her jealous
Make your firstborn realize that they are equally as important as your upcoming child.
Make them realize the importance of having a sibling

On your first to-be-mommy time, you were the main attraction in the crowd but this time you need to give that limelight to your first kid. Your first kid needs more time now so that he or she doesn’t feel left out from the exciting journey that you are in.

Things to do with the firstborn Before Second Baby

Here is some list of things that you can do with your firstborn before the second baby arrives:

Talk about “the baby”

Kids are very sensitive especially on such occasions when they get to hear that a new member will be a part of their family. Pregnancy is a beautiful journey for mothers. With the increase in the number of weeks, gradual changes take place to the mother. Therefore, make your child a part of this beautiful journey.

Make her feel the way you feel. Tell her stories about the upcoming siblings. Tell her about the importance of having a sibling. She will be more loved and she will have someone to always play with and also share her emotions.

An out of the blue vacation

Who doesn’t like an out of the blue outing? Well, you can just enjoy a long ride with her and travel to some vacation spot. Enjoy 2-3days there. It will be a nice relaxation for you as well as her. You will be out of the household chores and she will be able to enjoy her days without some homework maybe!

Bake and eat

This is a very interesting and a hassle-free thing which you both will enjoy. Just google any baking recipes (trust me it won’t take much time) and allow her to make the preparation. Engage her with all such activities so that she doesn’t feel lonely.

Bake some nice and freshly out of the oven cookies or a cake and enjoy them in the evening. This will also help to deal with naughty kids.

Go through the photo album

Kids are often fond of hearing stories. Why not tell them their own story? How naughty they used to be, things they would do secretly so that no one gets heed off, their favorite song or movie, and many more. Go through random photographs.

Make them feel special. Show them pictures and tell them their own stories. Or maybe make a collage of all the pictures and frame them on the wall.

Go out shopping

Girls always have a soft corner for shopping. If your firstborn is a girl then she would love some shopping and if she is a kid then why not hop to some play store. She would love an unbirthday present.

Buy her some favorite toy. Or maybe you can even buy some baby products for your upcoming one. Let her choose for her sibling. This way she will eagerly wait for the new member to come and play with her.

Order their favorite cuisine

Pastries, burgers, pizzas, noodles, all junk food around the world are a kid’s favorite. So, allow her, for a day, to live on her terms. Let her order food from outside and enjoy it. Don’t let her make it a habit but some cheat days are good and are needed. You can even plan a dinner date with your daughter and let her order her favorite cuisine.

Shower your child with love

Among all such restaurants or café hopping, baking, cooking telling stories don’t forget to give them your affection in the form of a cuddle, hugs, and kisses. These are some connections that heal and soothe them.

Enjoy some pillow fights maybe. Try and not to be angry at this phase because it’s not good for you even. Make them feel loved. With that growing baby bump, you might feel you, first child, to be much wiser and older.

Go on a movie date

Book some tickets and take your child to some movie date. Enjoy her favorite Disney movie. Grab a tub of popcorn and even make that baby inside that bump enjoy her day. Or you can even download some good movies, tell your hubby to bring some popcorn or pastries out from his, and enjoy a movie night with the family.

Be patient

On some days you might be tired, your hips ache and you might be a little grumpy but try to be patient enough for your child to deal with. If you find yourself taking out that bad mood, apologize immediately and reconnect.

Give her some hugs and kisses and play with her. She might even regress and you may notice a change in her behavior. Rising Kids around Animals is a good way to get them used to new members arriving.

Get your child used to caregivers

Well, this isn’t as easy as it sounds. Getting your first child used to with someone else might not be exciting for her. She might also throw tantrums. Your child might think that you are pushing her away from you and that now your attention will solely be for the upcoming baby. So, you need to look into that matter ahead of time.

On her initial days, keep a check on the activities. Bridge their gap and allow them to spend some time.

These are some ideas which you can do with your firstborn to make them feel that they are still important to you and that your affection for them will remain the same no matter what.

Here are Some Frequently Asked Questions about to do with First baby

Can my pregnancy affect the first child?

It depends on how delicately you handle the situation. You should try and as calm as possible and handle every situation with care. Children are sensitive and, in such cases, they might make up some stories in their heads and feel lonely and left out.

My child is a teenager; how will it affect her when I share my pregnancy news?

Teenage is a blooming age. This age is very delicate. It might be difficult in your part as you need to give equal attention to your first child as well as your health. In this age, children undergo a lot of changes mentally and hormonally even. Therefore, you need to talk to them, make them feel that you are always with them, listen to their stories, their new ventures, etc.

Will caregivers take good care of my child?

This is not a very easy job to take. You need to plan such things ahead and therefore you should need to look after the matter yourself. I am sure you will find someone good enough to look after your kid.

What are the mental shortcomings my first child can have during my pregnancy?

Often, she might feel depressed, lonely as you might not be able to run around her as you used to. But don’t worry and at the same time don’t pamper her a lot. Talk to her. Make her understand the importance of a sibling. How her life will benefit if she has a small brother or sister to play with. Make her realize that she will be the elder sister or brother who will have the most responsibility of the sibling.

Takeaway

Pregnancy is always a thrilling experience for women but motherhood is a challenge. You need to deal with it with a lot of patience and care. Hence being a mother for the second time is a challenge that many women face.

If you surpass this challenge it will be a wonderful experience to see your children playing and enjoying every day together. Siblings are always a blessing because it’s only them who look after one another when there is no one around.