Babies are not Baby Dolls

My 5 year old is very eager for us to have a second child. For two years, she has asked us repeatedly about when we were going to give her a little brother or little sister. While I recognize her desire to expand her family and to have more people to love, it’s important to recognize that just because your older child wants something, they may not know exactly what they are asking for. Older Sister in Training My nephew is 11 months old and will celebrate his first birthday in September. It hardly feels like a year since he … Continue reading →

How to Make Babies

From the 2nd Grade: A second grader came home from school and said to her mother, “Mom, guess what? We learned how to make babies today.” The mother, more that a little surprised, asked fearfully, “That’s interesting. How do you make babies?” “It’s simple,” replied the girl. “You just change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘s’.” From Kindergarten: A little girl came home from school upset and when her mother asked her what was wrong, she said “The kids at school told me there isn’t a real Santa Claus. Because he’s really only a fairytale.” “I see,” her mother frowned, … Continue reading →

Big Sib & Baby

It’s hardly surprising that age gaps can dictate how your older child will get along with your baby. If you have a new baby an older sibling or siblings in the house, you know that having a baby with older children is a challenge in its own right. Yes, you may have mastered many of the demands and rigors related to having a baby. One Year Age Difference A year is a tough age difference because as a parent you’ve barely recovered from having one baby when you are pregnant with the next. On the other hand, your older child … Continue reading →