Sibling Boundaries for Newborns

   Young siblings are so curious about newborns.  And parents are forced right from the get-go to set boundaries about how to treat this strange new arrival.  Mom and Dad want the brothers and sisters to feel love for and acceptance of the new member of the family without putting the baby at mortal risk!    Here, right in the first 60 seconds of  Jesse, Porter, and Eliza’s introduction to Andrew, the kids are exploring those boundaries:

Brook:  "See how tiny he is?  We have to be very careful with him."

Eliza:  "Can I touch him here?"

Porter:  "Here, Mommy?"

Jesse:  "My baby."

Porter:  "No Jesse, you can't poke him here!"

     This picture of Jesse trying to maintain his spot as the youngest (and certainly therefore the most precious) in the family reminds me about Brent's reluctance to give up his spot to Jill.  Some friends had come by to see our new little baby.  After oooooing and ahhhhhing over the tiny little Jill, they noticed Brent hanging on my legs and asked him, "Can we take Jill home with us?"

     To their surprise he answered with all the honesty of a toddler, "Ya, we don't need that dumb baby!"

     Andrew will certainly come into his own and be loved and adored by everyone in the family, eventually.  It is probably good to come to recognize that the universe is big enough for everyone and certainly, that in a family like Brook and Daniel's, there is enough love for all four children.