by Sabrina Garibian posted in Products

Having a second (or third, or, in my case, fourth) child is a great gift to other children in the family. But life will change in infinite ways, and sometimes that transition can be a little tough on an older sibling. I've come up with a bag of tricks and gifts for older siblings when a new baby arrives.
Tricks:
1. Make sure to still carve out time for your older children without the baby around. This is obviously easier said than done, but you can use little pockets of nap time for this.
2. Include older children in caring for the newest member of the family so they feel involved too.
3. Don't always ask older children to wait. Even though it sounds silly when you're saying it, occasionally tell your crying baby he has to wait while you tend to your older ones. Gifts:
A lot of second-time-around moms focus only on what their newborn might need in those early days. I think that's a mistake! I put together a little box of gifts and activities to help make those first months easier for everyone. With a newborn at home it isn't always easy to get to the park or go on adventures, so having a few little gifts to make those long afternoons pass by is a brilliant idea.
9 great gifts to give older siblings when a new baby arrives:
1. Toysmith Neato! Marbles in a Tin Box (Amazon, $9.99/160 marbles)

If your children are old enough that marbles are not a choking hazard, this is a great gift to give them when baby arrives. My children will play ...