The arrival of a new brother or sister is a significant change in a child’s life. Eventually, they are used to having your undivided attention. Some children might find it challenging to adapt to a new family member, while others easily accept the new arrival, at least at first.  

Jealousy among siblings is normal, and it is known as sibling rivalry. It begins when the second child in the family is born. It may continue until children reach their teenage years and older. 

Some children adjust rapidly and efficiently to having a new sibling. In contrast, other siblings feel displaced inside the family, seeing the younger sibling as a competitor and rival for their parents’ love and attention, which nurtures jealousy and is very common among children. 

There are many mistakes that parents unintentionally make and lead to the escalation of this rivalry. Some of these mistake are, giving the eldest child excessive attention after the delivery of the second child, being lenient with rules, disregarding the crossing of limits and rule-breaking, in addition to giving tasks to the eldest child to help with the youngest, making favorable comparison and telling the eldest that they are stronger, better, more beautiful and so on. 

How to prevent jealousy?

1. Explain to your child what life with a new baby will be like, what will change in your family and what will remain the same.
2. Talk about the characteristics of the newborns and what they do, such as sleep a lot, cry when they need to eat, sleep, change diapers, and that they cannot talk or eat, are limited in mobility and play.
3. Show the child old photos while being breastfed, taking their first walk, being held by grandparents.
4. Read stories that discuss brotherhood/sisterhood and having a newborn. 
5. When pregnant, involve your child in the process. Allow your child to feel and listen to the baby in the tummy, explain where the baby is, and show the ultrasound pictures. 
6. Let your child help with setting up the newborn’s bedroom and welcome decoration.
7. Apply changes to your child's daily routine, in any event, three months before the child is born. Move your child to their new room or bed (if necessary). Avoid explaining that these changes are due to the baby’s arrival.
8. Don’t compare your child to others. There's no comparison between the sun and the moon. They shine when it’s their time!
9. Do not punish the child for any behavior, mainly if it is caused by jealousy.

These were some tips that will help you during this period. Yet it is always recommended to conduct a “one-to-one preparatory session”, where you will learn the following:

• What mistakes you should avoid making during this period;
• Phases of acceptance that your eldest child will pass through, and how to deal with every stage;
• What you should do if the eldest tried to hurt the newborn;
• What is the entire strategy that you need to apply to radically reduce the risk of sibling rivalry in the future and build a great bond between your children?