Besides the joy and excitement when the family welcomes a new member, sometimes the first child feels left out because the parents spend more time caring for the younger child.
The firstborn child, being the center of the family, feels like his parents have forgotten him and love him less. Therefore, parents should be understanding and teach the older children to share love with their younger siblings.
Older children often feel confused and afraid that the appearance of a younger sibling will change their position in their parents' hearts. This is considered a normal psychological reaction. However, parents should be understanding and understanding of their children to care for and share so that their children do not feel hurt.
Parents should try to set aside time during their busy day to talk, take their older children out or eat their favorite food, and praise and encourage them to play with their younger siblings.
Listening to children share and express their feelings without judgment will help older children feel understood and respected by their parents, so older children will not feel hatred towards their younger siblings.
Parents should also not forget to emphasize the important role of children, so that they can see that they still have a special place in the family. Let children see that being an older brother or sister has an important role in caring for and educating younger siblings when parents are busy with work.
Parents can also guide older children with simple tasks such as helping their younger siblings get things, looking after their younger siblings while parents clean the house or cook... All of this will make older children feel valued and proud when their parents praise them for completing assigned tasks well.
Sometimes older children do not know how to express their feelings, parents should be the ones to guide them to express their love by kissing the cheeks and talking to the younger children.
One of the important things that parents also need to keep in mind is not to compare older children with younger children. This makes children feel hurt and jealous, leading to hatred for the younger children.
Make sure that each child receives equal care and love from their parents, regardless of age or gender. Instead of comparing, parents should help each child recognize their own value and strengths to develop.
