Initially, people were of the opinion that children should not be told too early because of the long and boring wait before the new baby actually arrives. On the other hand, children are very sensitive and are quick to pick up that something s up. If they are not told what all the excited whispering and constant adult discussions are about, their imaginations run riot and there is no saying what conclusion they will come to. Any major changes that you are planning to introduce in your older child s routine should be done either a couple of months before the arrival of the new baby or postponed for a couple of months after that time. If you try to wean or toilet train your older child or send her off to school around the same time that you bring your new baby home, you may cause a misunderstanding.
New babies are time consuming.
Thus, it would be a good idea if mothers tried to loosen the apron strings in advance, teaching their older children to be less dependent on them. Encourage them to play more on their own. Give them the opportunity to get accustomed to a babysitter if parents intend to use them. Involve the fathers so that they play a bigger role in parenting activities like bathing the child and bedtime rituals. However, mothers should remember that the child should not be given the impression that the new baby has stolen her mummy.