Struggling tohelp your toddler accept his baby sister? You’re not alone. It’s extremely common for a child to become jealous when there’s a new addition to the family – especially when that new addition is a baby that takes up all of her parents' time. Not to mention all of the presents she gets from friends and relatives.
There are lots of ways that this jealousy can show itself. ‘Just like there’s no such thing as a ‘normal child’, there’s no ‘normal behaviour’,’ says child psychologist Dr Amanda Gummer. ‘It’s common for children to become clingier to the mother, but also reject the mother and transfer affections to another role model.’
It’s extremely common for a child to become jealous when there’s a new addition to the family.
Some toddlers enjoy playing the role of big brother and suddenly seem to grow up, but others find it hard to understand why they have to share their parents.
‘Some children regress and want babying a bit more, especially if they think that it will get them more attention,’ explains Dr Gummer.
So, how do you cope with your toddler’s jealous behaviour on top of your new baby duties?