3 Examples of Preparing Your Child for a New Baby's Arrival

As soon as you find out that your family is expecting a new addition, you should take steps to prepare your daycare children for the new arrival. You can do this in a number of ways, and the underlying goal is to make sure your son understands that he is not being replaced as the favored child, but is instead being given the gift of a new playmate and a chance to show his love and affection for others,

The Stress of a New Sibling

A popular song in the late 70s was about a boy of daycare age who was devastated by the arrival of a baby sister after he had become accustomed to being the only child of the family. This is a very real situation for first-born children, but parents can sideline the emotional trauma by acclimating the older child early and making him part of the arrival of a new family member.

1. Talk About What's Happening

Talk to your son about the expected baby. Appropriately explain what pregnancy is, and help your child learn about the beauty of birth and the miracle of new life. Young children love to learn about new things, and preparing for a new brother or sister is a learning experience that can help them develop strong emotional and critical thinking skills.

2. Inclusion Over Exclusion

A very big mistake that parents sometimes make is to put too much focus on the new baby's arrival. Your older child has been the only child for as long as he can remember, and suddenly feeling like he has been pushed aside can lead to unwanted behavior such as sullenness, unruliness, and unexpected anger or aggression. Remember that this can be a very stressful time for your older child and be patient with him as he adjusts to life as part of a family team instead of being the sole center of attention.

3. Little Kids Become Big Helpers

A new baby in the family is a great time for your small son to transition into being the big boy of the family. This can be done by encouraging him to help his mom during the pregnancy and to learn how to do little things that help care for the new child after it arrives. Since learning to be an important part of the family and community is an important part of the Montessori Method, providing opportunities that teach important practical life experiences is actually a boon to the development of his physical, social, and even academic skills.

The worst mistake parents can make in regards to preparing a child for a new baby in the household is to pretend it isn't happening or to neglect the feelings and assumptions the older child has to deal with as the big day gets closer. Start early and stay patient, and your daycare son will quickly become your preschool helper.

Tools to Reduce Stress and Help Your Child Focus in School

When children graduate from the preschool class to private kindergarten, they will sometimes feel a bit stressed out. More is expected of them at this stage in life, and coping with expectations and trying to meet expected timeframes may seem like a daunting task, leading to less productive studies or even unwanted behavior patterns. To help alleviate the stress in your child's life, try these established tools that reduce stress and impress focus in children.

One Thing Then Another

Overloading Montessori kindergarten children with a list of things that need to be done overwhelms them, and that often leads to reduced performance. A better approach is to show what needs to be done, and then help your kids prioritize the schedule so that they can focus on a single thing at a time. There may be a lot to do, but accomplishing the list in single-task increments reduces the stress of expectations.

Physical Activity 

Research shows that physical activity helps reduce stress. The Montessori Method already puts a lot of emphasis on physical activity because it is beneficial for childhood development. At school and at home, giving children plenty of opportunities to get outside and be active will always be a great approach to better physical, mental, and emotional health.

Communication

Just like their adult counterparts, kindergarten children excel when they feel as though their concerns and needs are being addressed. Communication allows them to voice their wants and needs, express their problems, and work out appropriate solutions. Inclusion is an important part of the Montessori Method, and communication is a big step toward making young kids feel like part of the family and the community at large.

Established Routines

Setting up and sticking to regular routines is a great stress reliever for everyone, including school children. For kindergartners, things like a regular sleep schedule, helping prepare and clean up after dinner, and playing a leading role in caring for the family pet are all ways that children can establish reliable routines that make them feel more comfortable. Additionally, getting enough sleep at night and preparing for school efficiently every morning means they will be in a more relaxed frame of mind, and that allows them to focus on the tasks at hand instead of feeling like the things that are expected of them are one big jumble of "do this and do that."

The important thing to remember is that children are really just small versions of adults that have less real-world experience to draw from. They tend to model their behavior after what they observe in the adults around them, so practicing good emotional behavior at home encourages children to do the same. A good rule of thumb is that worrying about things does not accomplish much and that everything will happen in due time if we slow down and focus on what is important.