Introducing your bub to siblings

Mr. Large was only eighteen months old when he was introduced to Miss Medium. I’d prepared him as best I could. I’d shown him the ultrasound pictures of the baby in my tummy. I’d gone and bought him a present as a gift to him from his new sibling. We sat down and explained to him there would be a new baby and got him involved in setting up the nursery.

I’d love to be able to tell you about the touching scene in the hospital where they met for the first time but it was all a bit of an anti climax. Mr. Large wasn’t in the slightest interested in his new sister and wandered off after giving her a cursory once over. I must admit I felt a bit wounded at his lack of reaction, but later on realized it showed that we’d done a good job preparing him. In his mind it was no big deal.

Fast forward a few years.

When we introduced Mr Large and Miss Medium to Mr. Small they were both older and had a much better understanding of what was happening. They were thrilled and delighted in equal measure. I still like watching the video where they saw him for the first time. Mr Large stroked Mr Small’s head gently and said: “Hey there, little guy.”

Of course they were soon distracted by the gifts their new brother had bought with him and while my husband snuggled our new baby, they were soon on the floor happily unwrapping and playing with their new toys.

Both times, there were periods of adjustment
at home as the family dynamics shifted as a result of the arrival of a new person. There was certainly more grizzling and the need for lots of cuddle time. Even though I was probably more tired than I’d ever been I had to adjust my expectations and in some ways, so did my children. But we got there in the end.
How did your children react when you bought a new baby home? Do you think age makes a difference to their reaction?