Tips to help older children prepare for the new baby's arrival

I must say that as time drew nearer for the birth of my second child, I was really trying to prepare my son for the arrival of his new little sister.  The day that my daughter was born, my son kept saying mommy I want to hold her; can I sleep in the bed with you too mommy.  I want to share with you a few tips that will help the older sibling prepare him/herself so that it won't be too hard once they see the new baby.

Tip#1

Allow the older siblings to help you with the baby.  What I mean by this is, when you get ready to change the baby, let the other child bring the diapers, baby powder, or whatever it is that you need.  I know personally for me, I allowed my son to bring me sarah's clean clothes, her bottle, and diapers.  As time went by, he started to feel like a big boy and being around the new baby didn't get to him as much.  Now, I must say that that still didn't stop him from getting jealous.

Tip#2

Make time just for the older sibling.  During the first couple of months, there will be a lot of attention paid to the newborn, so you have to be creative with this one.  With my two little ones, when Sarah would go down for her nap, I would watch a movie with Ishmael, or play his favorite game with him.  Sometimes, that didn't work, because how about little missy, didn't want to stop eating (I was still nursing her), so I would play with ishmael in between playing little games with Sarah while she ate.

Tip#3

Let the older sibling know that he/she is loved.  This may seem like a given, but little children still tend to get jealous of the new baby.  Even before the baby is born, keep remind them of how much mommy and daddy love them and that the new baby is not going to take their place.  I know with mines, I consistently allowed ishmael to feel my stomach when Sarah would be kicking, and I would tell him that "she was kicking trying to come out so she could play with him".  "Another thing I used to tell him is that he's going to be a BIG brother and little sisters love their big brother because he has to be the one to protect her.  

I really hope this get you on the right path as to preparing your older siblings for the new baby!

Best wishes,

LaTersa Blakely

Need a Great baby shower gift--Click here!

Still need some help about preparing for motherhood the second time around--Click here!

10 Tips for a new mom

Calling all the new moms!

I wanted to stop by to let all the new moms know that there's no need to panic. Just relax, take a deep breath and prepare for your new bundle of joy's arrival one step at a time.  I'm here to help you get ready with my 10 tips for all the new mothers out there.

1) Clean house. What I mean by that is get all the pine sol and natural cleaning supplies out that you have.  Babies are very sensitive to scents and fragrances.  Wash down walls, door knobs, drapes, blinds, linens, and etc. 

2) Get your house baby friendly.  Keep all harmful items out of reach of baby and any other children around the house.  Get cabinet locks for your toddlers, and keep all cleaning supplies out of baby and other siblings reach.

3) Purchase the proper nursery furniture and have it all set up before bringing new baby home. Have your furniture organized they way you want it before the new baby comes home.  You will need all of your time devoted to the baby.

4) Be sure to check all linen to make sure that its 100% cotton or for the organic mothers, make sure everything is organic friendly.  By the way, for all those new organic mothers that are looking to have a baby shower soon. Check out my line of Eco-friendly diaper cakes.

5) Stock up! Diapers, Diapers, Diapers, and more diapers. Please do not buy a lot of new born diapers because babies are in new born diapers for such a short period.  My two little ones, were out of new born diapers before they were a month old. I would suggest buying sizes 1-2.

6) Stock up! Formula, Formula, and more formula; But for those mothers that will be breast feeding, make sure you have the proper breast pump and the correct size. Also, when breast feeding, you want to make sure that you keep your breast pump and all of its components clean and store and a safe area. One thing you do not want to do is start pumping your milk out into an unclean pumping tube. That is really bad for the baby and you.

7) Make sure you have enough clothes for the new baby; (onsies, lafayette, and pajama outfits) For the first few months of baby's life, they will be strictly in the house, so you want to make sure baby is comfortable.

8) Now, that you have baby all squared away! Now its time for you to take care of yourself. Yes, I said it and thats not being selfish. I had to learn this the hard way.  But, one thing is for sure, if mommy's not feeling well, than she is no good for her baby.

9) Ask for help. Don't be afraid to ask for help so that you can get some rest.  Your body will shut down if you don't get the proper rest that your body needs.  With the new baby here, you are not going to have one set schedule because trust you me, babies have a mind of their own. Whenever, they feel hungry, they cry or do whatever they have to  in order to get your attention.

10) Finally, enjoy your new life with your baby. Play little pitty patty games and watch how your baby responds. Get to know that little person that God has blessed you with and DON"T STRESS. Take little baby steps.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Lysol® Wee Wisdom blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”