Tips on the transition from one to two bubbas!

Merkin

I'm delighted to be due our second little boy in a few weeks (our other little chap is two) and I'm wondering if any of you seasoned campaigners can offer any nuggets of wisdom please? Our toddler is a great little fellow and has essentially been like the Crown Prince Merkin since he arrived and I'm anxious that he doesn't feel like his throne has been suddenly usurped!!!

Someone imparted a great tip recently and said that when he is due to meet the newborn in hospital make sure the tot is in his bassinet and not in my arms. It also goes without saying the new baby will come bestowing gifts, most probably something Fireman Sam related!

Can you recommend any dos or don'ts that eased the transition and helped your little one get used to another tot around please?

Thanks xx

bp

Congratulations

Our biggest one was as soon as baby was bf he was put back in his bed at other end of the room from where we were playing with the first! Both parents on the floor giving full attention. I bf where number one could sit with us and read etc.

Oh and a new outfit to meet the baby that she picked so excited to wear the new clothes. So maybe fireman Sam T shirt and baby in big sisters favourite colour!

Lucuma

Dd1 was 18 mo when dd2 was born. We honestly have had no issue. Dd1 is mad about dd2 always asks for her, where is she, wants to play with her, kiss her hug her. So hopefully you'll have the same!
The PHN told me don't leave them alone together unsupervised which was good advice. I've never seen dd1 try to hurt the baby but she did feed her weetabix once when I was in a different room :-o I only found out when baby coughed up the weetabix!
When feeding the baby I read books with dd1. Also we bought dd1 a doll and a buggy and she used to mind her 'baby' and push it around and practice 'rub the baby, gentle gentle' before baby arrived. You could do that for a boy as well it's good to prepare them for the idea of a baby.
Realistically your son is going to be spending a lot of time with Daddy now for the next while as you'll be taken up with baby, and there's not much you can do about that. A chance for them to bond!

Balmed Out

We bought our son a baby doll a few weeks before and had him burping the doll when we burped the baby etc. No idea if it helped but he was fine with second child, most of the time :-)

Subacio

Giving up the cot to number 2 was a tricky one for us. The gap was, and still is, 2 years, so we found it helped number 1 accept the loss of his cot, if we included him in the choice of bed and bed clothing. We'll always be grateful to Bob the Builder for that one.

Lucuma

I'm just going to buy a 2nd cot. Can't face a bed here yet

cyning

Have a "feeding" box. I had one full of stickers, new (or forgotten about!) books, bubbles, basically anything that could be played with one handed to distract while I was feeding. I found the Melissa and Doug stickers the best for desticking afterwards!

I wouldn't have coped without a sling.

I would say don't worry too much. S was an exceptionally difficult baby, and C was and still is a complete mammy's girl. Both of us adjusted together. Some days we probably watched too many cartoons, but it wasn't the end of the world. And they are the best of friends.

farmchoice

i'd say the biggest don't is, over think it. since time immemorial man has been having more then one child, a bit of Common sense will go a long way here.
making a big deal of it either way is what will cause the problem, just get on with as best you can

i have seen a few of my friends who really stressed out this and had all sorts of plans in place to make sure his/her highness was not put but out by the arrival of the second in line to the throne, in nearly every case these were the ones who ended up having problems because they made such a fuss of not making a fuss.

Sligo1

Tips on the transition from 1 to 2?..... Get a double buggy :-).

Just joking. My little guy was a bit younger than yours when we had number 2 so he barely noticed (was only 14 months himself). But as others have said... I think the less that's made of it probably the better. But do enjoy your last few weeks of just ye... One thing I really miss and wish I had realised at the time... Is that you will always be entertaining 2. I miss not being able to spend time with just T on his own now. Really looking forward to midterm when L is in playschool so I get T all to myself for the entire week!

Sligo1

P.s. merkin this might be nice
www.writingfortiny.com

If you go to writing for Tinys Facebook page it's nicer than the website. The books look gorgeous. Could be a present for just number 1 from number 2.

galah

Congrats

Defo a little present from the new baby to the sibling helps, even if it's just for sheer bribery and guilt tripping the olderone into being nice to new baby

Other than that no useful advice here as no. 2 was a very difficult baby who didnt sleep and constantly fed, and no. 1 didnt watch tele (because he just couldnt be bothered) and demanded an insane amount of attention by pure misbehaving. Still dont know how i managed on avg 2 hours sleep for the first two years without totally cracking up.

Things are slightly better now as they do play together - when theyre not at each other's throats over their toys.

Good luck