How To Handle A New Addition To Your Family.

Adding Another Child to Your Growing Family-

I remember the day fondly as we excitedly were ready to tell my then 3-year-old that we would be adding a little baby to our family. I could immediately see his wheels start to turn, eyes become overly engaged, mounds of ideas and words trying to form into sentences and then all of sudden nothing, but silence. See, I knew he was at the age where he would fully begin to understand that he would no longer be the only child, the lone baby of our family and now another little human being was going to invade his territory. For several weeks he would stay quiet not mentioning the thought of a new arrival. I knew at that moment we would have to take extra steps to help him handle the new baby girl coming into our family. Not only was his world about to rocked, but so was our entire family of three, as we all transitioned to a new life as a family of four.

Preparing For the New Addition-

Long gone was the baby phase for my son and we had all become use to the easier way of living now that he was older. No more bottles, diapers, midnight waking’s or straining your back carrying the dreaded infant carrier from store to store. I felt as though I was starting way back at the beginning, becoming a bit rusty in the baby department. Having heard mixed reviews from others, I was interested to see if going from zero children to one, or one to two was going to be the biggest game changer for our family. For me, it was a combination, your entire world is thrown up side down when you decide to add your first born child into the world. Coming to the realization that this tiny bundle of joy will depend on you for every aspect of their well-being, can be daunting. On the other hand adding a second child means new schedules, routines and whipping your multi- tasking skills into overdrive. This was the trickiest part when adding a second child to our family, making sure everyone's needs were taken care of without forgetting to include yourself, the momma, into that list. . Now, I had two people that would rely on me each and everyday day to take care of their most important needs. 

Simple Steps on preparing for a new addition-

• Enjoy more family time before the new baby arrives.

• Pick out and plan a day each week to enjoy new adventures before your family expands.

• On your family outings discuss with your child how the new baby will fit into the family events.

• Have the whole family involved from picking out bedding, to paint colors, clothing and accessories in the new babies room. This especially helps little ones feel as though they are a part of this new process.

• Remember there will be times of melt downs, fits and temper tantrums (even for the adults). This too shall pass, and enjoy the memories.

• *Mommies, we must remember to take time for ourselves as our family grows everyone’s needs and wants grow too. Do not forget about yourself.

• Ask for help when times feel overwhelming, it could be as simple as a walk in your neighborhood alone, a trip to the store or a shower that doesn’t involve children sitting in the bathroom floor anxiously waiting on you to finish. 

This can be one of the most exciting, and yet overwhelming times in a families life. It will take time for everyone to adjust, but being prepared before the new baby arrives will also ease everyone into the new reality of their growing family. 

I love hearing from you; please email me at kelley@serenitysleepers.com or checkout my website www.serenitysleepers.com