Just like death and taxes, sibling rivalry can’t be avoided. It represents normal, healthy competition between siblings. It can be kept under control if you understand what’s going on. A brand new baby presents a whole new set of problems for the older brother or sister. He may feel abandoned, angry, frightened and jealous. And looking at it from his point of view, why shouldn’t he be? You now are spending time with the new baby instead of with him. Visitors are making a big fuss over the new addition, paying less attention to him. “What’s going on around here?” is what he’s thinking. “I’d better do something to get things back to the way they were.” Regressive behavior is another typical reaction to a new baby. The older child may revert back to drinking from a bottle, or may even get back into diapers. This is how he tries to get back all the attention he used to have.
Dr. Alvin Eden is chairman of the department of pediatrics at Wyckoff Heights Hospital in Brooklyn and associate clinical professor of pediatrics at Cornell University Medical Center. Dr. Eden has authored several books including “Positive Parenting” and “Healthy Kids”.
