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Thursday, March 15, 2012

5 Tips to Help You Prepare for Number 2

If you’re anything like me, the arrival of baby #2 can occur just as you’ve finally settled into a predictable routine with your first child. The thought of double the work, and a whole lot less sleep, can be overwhelming for almost anyone. Here are our top 5 tips to help you get ready for your newest addition.
1. Get your partner involved. When the new baby comes home, you will suddenly have a lot less time to oversee every aspect of your older child’s routine. It’s important that both parents are comfortable with things like meal preparation, bedtime and bath time routines. In my household, this meant my loving husband was finally forced to learn how to prepare something other than Mac N Cheese for my daughter!
2. Create Mommy and Me time. With all the demands a new baby can bring, it’s easy to lose out on quality time with your older child. By setting aside quality time for just the two of you – whether that be a Mommy and Me class you go to every weekend, or simply a book or two before bed each night, you can ensure they still have time during which they get your undivided attention.
3. Work on milestones. If you’ve been contemplating tackling a milestone for which your older child seems ready, be it potty training or the transition to a toddler bed, I’d suggest taking this on BEFORE you bring the baby home. Not only is it easier to tackle these while you’re still getting a good night sleep, but you’ll give your oldest ample time to adjust to the transition before the baby arrives.
4. Baby Present! Jealousy is natural and to be expected when your older child encounters a baby who suddenly gets lots of attention – and LOTS of gifts! A great way to temper that is to have your oldest receive a present from their little sibling. Your oldest will feel like they are getting in on the present giving action and every time they play with it you can remind them of how much their little brother or sister loves them.
5. RELAX. Before the arrival of my youngest daughter, I was very strict about the amount of television my daughter was allowed to watch, her meal plan, etc., etc. Since the arrival of number two, I’ve found not only that I’ve had to relax those guidelines, but also that it is totally okay. New babies are a lot of work, and stress, and you need to give yourself a break, and time to adjust to the transition. Some days, you just need to accept that the only thing that’s getting accomplished is watching Finding Nemo… twice.

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