Child Acting Up After New Baby 3 Year Old

If your toddler is acting out and throwing major tantrums after the new baby comes home, I first of all want you to know that this is a normal part of helping your toddler adjust to the new baby.

It's certainly not the most enjoyable time of parenting, but it's not cause for alarm either, you aren't doing anything wrong! The sheer number of times people find my blog everyday after searching something like "15 month old acting up after new baby comes home" or "older child throwing tantrums around new baby" should tell you that you are not alone in this struggle. It doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong, or that it will be this way forever.

In fact, if a tantrum throwing kiddo or a wailing newborn tears you away from this article and you're unable to read it in it's entirety just keep this in mind:If you see nothing else, let me assure you . . . You are not a terrible parent, and it will get better.

Bringing home a new baby really shakes up things for a toddler. It's natural for him or her to regress into some old behaviors and begin acting completely out of character. It's one of those not-so-fun stages of parenthood, but itis just a stage. While it will probably seem to last forever in the moment but it will pass before you know it!

Knowing it's just a phase doesn't necessarily make it easier, but it can give you hope that the rest of your life won't be spent torn between two wailing children.

I know it's one thing to say it will get better and it's another to actually help you out a little and point you in the right direction, so I thought I'd include a couple of tried and true ideas that will help you and your older child get through the transition with your sanity still in tact.

Here are a few simple things that you can do to make a difference in your home today.

One on One Time – This is literally like waving a magic wand and turning your toddler into some one new. It's astounding what 10-15 minutes of one on one playtime can do for a young child. Find ways to sneak it in during the day.

For us, I found that if I could get baby all nursed and her diaper changed and put her in her swing before my older child woke up in the morning it my toddler and me a few minutes of quality time together at the start of his day. There was a huge change in his behavior on days that I did this. We would go from having constant meltdowns in the morning (when we didn't start his day just the two of us together) to a calm happy kiddo who was kind to his sister.

Every one's schedule is different (and constantly changing now that there is another baby around!) but try to find ways to sneak in the extra face time with your older children. If he or she is acting out of character, try to find a way in the next thirty minutes to spend some time just with the older child. Eventually, you won't have to go out of your way to do this as much, but it can make the difference between sanity and utter chaos in the first few months with a new baby.

Be consistent – I can't stress this enough. In fact, I dedicated an entire chapter in my book about new siblings to consistency! I'm not one to tell you how you should be raising your children, but I can tell you that whatever was workingbefore baby came, keep it up!!! It might not seem to be making a difference right away after the baby comes, but it eventually will start working again. Kids need that consistency in their lives, and they frequently act out, just to see if it's still there, since everything else in their lives changed when the new baby arrived.

Find balance – With consistency and extra playtime, it's important to find that balance that works for your family. Sometimes the older child might just need an extra hug, and sometimes he or she might need to be talked to about correct behavior around the newborn. Finding that balance between consistency and grace is not always the easiest thing when you are running on next-to-no sleep and have heard nothing but screaming for the past few weeks, but it can be found! Remember that kids are young, and still learning even when it seems like they should know better by now. Keep breathing, keep  moving forward and I promise, it does get easier! You didn't make a mistake by having another kiddo, they will learn and grow together as will you!

Remember that you are awesome – Your awesome-ness as a parent is not dependent upon the number of tantrums your child does or does not throw in a day. Tantrums are a completely normal part of childhood, and not a cause for alarm or guilt. Just keep going mom or dad. There are some days that you'll be the awkward parent standing in the middle of the grocery store with two wailing children, and other days you'll be the one with the perfectly behaved angel of a toddler and a sleeping infant that every one envies. Either way, you are a great parent and your kids will be just fine!

You can also ease the transition by getting your oldest a special new shirt they can COLOR. There's one coloring shirt for big bro and one coloring shirt for big sis. They can color the shirts with washable markers to design them again and again OR use permanent markers to keep their original design forever! Kids LOVE decorating their own shirts and these are too cute!!!

These shirts are perfect for helping your older child announce your pregnancy too! They can do it in style with an adorable shirt they have designed themselves!

Looking for more ways to make your older child feel special? Try one of these sentimental gift ideas for the new big brother/big sister!

Child Acting Up After New Baby 3 Year Old

Source: https://www.beautythroughimperfection.com/toddler-acting-out-new-baby/

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