All Articles

11 Ways Older Siblings Can Help With The Baby

Posted on: 03/08/2012 | by

Emily of babble.com shares to you 11 ways older siblings can help with the baby:

When I was pregnant with Paul, it was a huge fear and concern of mine that my other three kids would feel left out and ignored. I desperately worried that I wouldn’t have enough time/energy/love to go around, to successfully parent four young children.

And while it has been a struggle to find a daily rhythm that works for everyone, I think we’ve hit a good stride. I’ve found that one of the best things I can do for the older kids is make them feel like a valued and active participant with the new baby.

Letting them help out and make decisions regarding the baby has empowered them.

1. Photoshoot with the baby

I have my camera out all the time, and sometimes it's just fun to hand over the lens to my oldest. She loves taking photos of baby Paul, then looking at her shots later on the computer!

01-(1).png

2. Hang the baby's diapers

We *mostly* cloth diaper, which means in the hot summer months we hang our fluff to dry. This is a chore I've given to my 5-year-old, and she's really good at it!

(reachME is the main distributor of FuzziBunz cloth nappies. Visit our shop for our range)

01-(2).png

3. Feed the baby

Baby Paul doesn't get too many bottles. But when he does, his older siblings are sure to help.

01-(3).png

4. Entertain the baby

When I'm getting dressed or taking a quick shower, I let my girls entertain baby Paul.

01-(4).png

5. Skype about the baby

Instead of me telling far away friends and family about about all of baby Paul's new tricks, I let the big kids spill the news.

01-(5).png

6. Decorate the baby's room

I let my big kids take an active roll in designing the nursery. I think it turned out great!

7. Dress the baby

As long as the baby is dressed, this momma does not care what he is wearing. My daughter loves to get Paul ready for the day.

01-(7).png

8. Feed the baby

Paul eats off a spoon two times a day. I let my oldest feed him when she wants. It's messy, but I don't care!

01-(8).png

9. Feed the baby

Paul eats off a spoon two times a day. I let my oldest feed him when she wants. It's messy, but I don't care!

10. Pick up the baby

I have a daughter that is finally at the age where she can pick Paul up and sooth him when he gets upset.

11. Wash the baby

While this is a very closely supervised event, I always let willing little helpers scrub the baby at the end of the day.

And yes, sometimes it takes longer and doesn’t get done the way I would have done things. But at the end of the day, those things are trivial in comparison to my older children’s feeling secure with their role in our family.

How about you? How do you empower your big kids when it comes to helping out with the baby?

This post originally appeared on babble.com

21 comments

Karena Wilson on 08 August 2012 12:18
i have two older daughters, 15 & 12 and our little newborn Boston, 5 months, the girls do everything they can for him, feeding, bathing, they love reading to him everynight, and laying on the floor teaching him how to move. I absolutely love this age gap, he really has 3 mummies watching over him, we are so blessed

Tonya Bristow on 08 August 2012 12:14
My second one has just arrived so will be looking forward to her helping out with her little sister over the next few months!

Tracey Forster on 04 August 2012 09:06
I have a 14 month old then my next 2 children up are 8 & 11. they help out heaps. My daughter gets the baby dressed, they both care for him when I am in the shower. They help feed him when he needs it. I also find it really helps for them to be able to have some one on one time playing with him they way they want to rather than how the other one does if that makes sense. I find this really important with my 11 year old as he gets really frustrated that my daughter spends so much time with the baby and he doesn't get to do much with him.

Malandrob Whiteley on 04 August 2012 05:51
there is a 12 year gap between our youngest "big"boy and our eldest boy. They are growing into best of mates and Master B follows his older brother around, including climbing trees and riding on his scooter etc. They spend many hours together....

Michelle West on 03 August 2012 15:54
Such a fantastically timed read as I have number 2 on the way shortly and one of biggest fears is how my wondefful daughter will react. I really want her to be involved and this has given me some FANTASTIC ideas... thank you!!

Kelly Biddick on 03 August 2012 14:55
My children are amazing with our youngest, they are a wee bit older and make my life so much easier being helpful :)

Tara Moala on 03 August 2012 14:41
With only 3 years difference between baby and big boy, most of these will need to wait for a while. But! Some that have worked for us *run and get baby a fresh nappy * get baby a toy to play with * entertain baby while mum is cooking dinner * sort baby's washing with mum * any general household tasks like dusting with a cloth, or wiping down the table. He's loved it. At times, he still just wants mum with no baby, but because he's so involved with baby, he's never complained or acted jealous :)

Amy Buttery on 03 August 2012 14:36
i love reading all the articles on reach me! they always come in handy especially this one for when my next baby comes along!

Giselle Coutinho Gomes on 03 August 2012 14:33
My son was 4 when my little girl was born. She hated tummy time, so he'd sing to her while she lay on the floor and that seemed to calm her a lot. Later on he sang to her just to keep her entertained and now that they're 3 and 7 he reads to her everyday and she adores him :)

Karen Price on 03 August 2012 14:07
I have three children, with six years between one and two, and another six between two and three. Sharing the looking after their younger siblings is something both have really loved. Sometimes things take a little longer this way, but the delight they take in being so involved makes it very worth it.

monique weeks on 03 August 2012 13:59
this is great :) Thanks, Ive been racking my brian trying to find some ways for miss 5 and 6 to help with little miss 5mths. Mr 2 is very good at soothing her; by sitting right up against her and patting her tum, she will instantly stop crying for him :)

Victoria Nelson on 03 August 2012 13:58
Thanks for the tips, I look forward to being able to use them when #2 arrives!

Joanna Benton on 03 August 2012 13:55
I only have 18 months between my two girls. My eldest helped by bringing me things I asked for and reading to her baby sister,

Erica Battersby on 03 August 2012 13:54
My (ex) baby is a brilliant helper with her new brother, Taking the dirty nappies to the bin and keeping him occupied while I cook Tea

Stefanie Evans on 03 August 2012 13:53
Not so sure my 14 month old is going to be too good at any of these. Makes me a little nervous about having 2 so close together.

Sarah Blair on 03 August 2012 13:51
My kids are great with the baby, they are 8, 10 and 12 and they do so much to help but I don't want to take advantage of the fact that they are so willing and capable by expecting them to do too much of her care!! My sisters older children are practically raising her baby and I think that is unfair.

Jessica Guenther-Leslie on 03 August 2012 13:47
Love it! My 20 month old loves sticking the dummy back in baby's mouth! Not necessarily when bubba wants it though! =)

Anzac Ilalio on 03 August 2012 13:43
My wife and i are adopting my 3 younger siblings from Samoa aged 7,9 and 11 and with baby number 2 on the way i'm gonna show her this!!! She will have 4 little helpers!! I love how willing they are to help at the younger age lol

olivia wallbank on 03 August 2012 13:42
My son who is 3.5 does some of these things with my 15 month old son. However 90% of the time he just wants to snatch everything off him and hurt him. We will keep trying tho! My sons are both very jealous of eachother!

Kaleena Friend on 03 August 2012 13:38
My son is very lucky to have his older cousins come around and help out. They love to get involved in his bath time and drawing with him and teaching him a lot of new things. Its amazing how much he learns with his cousins. I think its very important for everyone to be involved in his learning and development. Book reading seems to be their favorite thing to do with my son x

You must be signed in to comment. Sign in or Register