Your oldest might get a diaper or a burp cloth when you need it, help pick out the baby's clothes for the day, or even dance around in front of the baby when your newborn is cranky. Maybe your child could come to a prenatal visit or watch an ultrasound. If you're giving birth in a hospital setting, ask about sibling visitation after the baby is born.
If you feel up to cooking, make double portions and freeze them. Finding the energy will be harder after the baby is born. Keep some menus of takeout food restaurants handy, including a few that deliver. Consider reorganizing your laundry system using one hamper per family member or a basket for each child so it's easier to sort and fold clothing.
Laundry is usually the biggest complaint of new parents — it seems to triple when another child arrives, so now is the time to prepare. If possible, use items you already have or that family members can share rather than buying all new things. As long as they meet current safety standards, hand-me-downs such as cribs , bassinets, strollers , high chairs, and clothes can help save time and money. Stock the car with a diaper bag filled with all the needed extras so you'll always be prepared.
Many parents keep a toy bag in the car for older kids and a diaper bag with diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, and an extra blanket for the baby.
Keep a book or toy bin handy in your bedroom, family room, and even the bathroom or laundry room, to keep kids busy for a few precious moments while you're feeding or bathing the baby, or doing chores. Ask a family member to spend time with you right after the baby's birth, if you feel comfortable doing so. Not only will he or she enjoy it, but you'll be able to get some much-needed rest. If possible, have a housekeeping service come in once a week for the first month or two to help you with chores.
Look to your community or place of worship for support. Many programs and classes are available that offer activities and social support for families with young kids. Don't forget to take care of your own needs. Pamper yourself, even if it's something as simple as a haircut or a bath with candles and music to help you relax after a trying day. Provinces and territories regulate and license centre-based and home-based child care programs in Canada.
Centres must meet health and safety qualifications and standards set by the province or territory. Often these agencies are run by local municipalities. Home-based programs provide a more flexible, less structured environment, and might be next door or down the street. Unlicensed home-based programs are often just as good as licensed ones, but your child is not protected by provincial regulations, such as those related to fire safety and playground equipment standards.
The best ways to ensure your child will get quality care is to visit during operating hours and talk with parents whose children are already enrolled. Many centre and home-based caregivers offer part-time care, but if you only need care for a portion of the day or week, you may want to consider other options. Start your search early, months before you go back to work or in some places even before your baby is born.
Here are some questions to get started:. Once you have found a few potential caregivers or centres, phone them or check their website to answer some basic questions. Plan to visit the ones that fit your criteria. Before making a decision, check references and talk to parents whose children have been enrolled for a while. Last updated: February Child care: Making the best choice for your family Whether you work full-time, a few hours a week or have other outside commitments, choosing child care is an important decision.
Good caregivers: Understand how children grow and develop. Provide children with a stimulating environment and many ways to learn. Work with you and listen to your concerns. Want to help your child reach any goals that you have set. A good child care setting: Is clean, safe and has a small number of children per staff member.
Has staff who are professionally qualified, fully immunized, and have had police background checks. Success comes with a price: Firstborns tend to be type A personalities who never cut themselves any slack. Maidenberg, Ph. And because they dread making a misstep, oldest kids tend to stick to the straight and narrow: "They're typically inflexible—they don't like change and are hesitant to step out of their comfort zone," she explains.
In addition, because firstborns are often given a lot of responsibility at home—whether it's helping with chores or watching over younger siblings—they can be quick to take charge and can be bossy when they do. That burden can lead to excess stress for a child who already feels pressure to be perfect. If a couple decides to have a second child , they might raise their second-born with less of an iron first due to their previous experience.
They might also be less attentive since there's other children in their lives. Therefore, the middle child is often a people-pleaser due to the lack of attention they get in comparison to older siblings and younger siblings. I'm not the youngest. Who am I? This sort of hierarchical floundering leads middle children to make their mark among their peers, since parental attention is usually devoted to the beloved firstborn or baby of the family. What's more, "middle children are the toughest to pin down because they play off their older sibling," says Dr.
Middleborns are go-with-the-flow types; once a younger sibling arrives, they must learn how to constantly negotiate and compromise in order to "fit in" with everyone. Not surprisingly, Dr.
Sulloway notes, middle kids score higher in agreeableness than both their older and younger sibs. Because they receive less attention at home, middletons tend to forge stronger bonds with friends and be less tethered to their family than their brothers and sisters.
Middle kids once lived as the baby of the family, until they were dethroned by a new sibling. Unfortunately, they're often acutely aware that they don't get as much parental attention as their "trailblazing" older sibling or the beloved youngest, and they feel like their needs and wants are ignored.
It's an interesting dialogue. Are you the oldest or the youngest? When people find out I have 13 siblings, they often ask "Where do you fit? Life would be much easier if English had an interrogative word meaning "the how-many-eth.
In context, Kenny's "Where are you in your family? I would probably say one of the above, but I've heard "What number child are you? English-Ireland top end. I knew I'd heard this topic discussed before: Family Manyth - is this English? Surely people only ask about siblings in statistical surveys!
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