What? Aloncito goes to school already? Why?- I got mixed reactions when my friends found out I spent some Saturday afternoons attending a baby class. I was introduced to Teacher Tanya Velasco’s Parent-Infant Class just when Aloncito turned 3 months old. Her classes are held in La Vista which is soooo convenient for me so I decided to give it a try. Ok, it’s not the lecture kind of class but more on group discussion type so you don’t need to take down notes. It’s very interactive and natural as you get to talk to other parents (including the handsome dads) about their baby’s milestones and how their babies are at home. It is also a venue for moms to voice out their concerns on raising babies and how else they could effectively build a healthy relationship with their babies.

Sensitive skin runs in our family. My daughter’s skin was perfectly fine until she turned two. That was when she started having rashes and bumps all over her body which annoyed her (and me) most of the time. We could not pinpoint where and how it started and I know that there is no one culprit to this issue. It could be caused by the weather changes -if it’s too hot or too cold. Or when she started drinking formula milk (we tried a lot of brands already I tell you). Her diet also plays a big factor because she likes chicken and fish which are really malansa. Our pedia couldn’t tell us what was going on. Instead, she advised us to give her medication and skin care products to at least relieve her from the itchiness. I don’t like to say that it was unnecessary expense but whew the amount we shell out for her maintenance was quite big, if you know what I mean. So I promised that with baby #2, I will be more careful and make sure that he doesn’t have to go through all of these!

Spending as much  time as we can with this little one!

Baby Number 2! Yes, I’m officially in my third trimester and it has been a roller coaster ride for me as my hormones are constantly playing up my mood- there are days when I’ll be super productive and work on blogging, tutoring and other writing projects but some days I just want to sleep and watch Narcos or Stranger Things. But then again, I always think about the remaining time that I’ll be spending with my toddler so I force myself out of bed and create activities for her. It’s a good thing for me since it serves as my morning exercise too (picking up all the toys in the room, cleaning after her used paintbrushes and   making sure to maintain the cleanliness in our classroom)! I’m happy that I can still work and attend to my tutees every afternoon because I honestly can’t let go of work and I’m so lucky I don’t have to go through traffic every single day! Hello Manila traffic has gone from bad to worst.Writing projects (webvertorials and online articles) are also a blessing for me. It’s like the gym for my mommy brain. Keep ‘em coming! haha! Anyway, back to the topic. How did I try to prepare my tot with her new sibling? :)

Introduce the new baby as early as possible.

It’s inevitable that you’ll grow a baby bump  and everyone will notice it including your tot. I told her right away that there is a baby growing inside my tummy. I let her touch and massage it and remind her all the time to be careful and to just pat it gently. Sometimes when the play gets rough, I tell her that it’s ouchie and she should not target my belly anymore! hehe.

Read books on having another baby.

I only have two books right now and it’s okay since she likes repetition and enjoys being asked all over again about the details from the story. I’ve switched the names of the characters and turned them into our real names so she would feel as if she were part of the story. We even re-enact some parts and I guess that helps so when the real thing comes out, she’ll do it to her new sibling too!

Call her Ate or Kuya

When we found out that we’re expecting, we immediately stopped calling her baby A. Instead, we taught her the new word Ate so she can familiarise herself with her new role. Now, she would say “No, A_____ not baby”. I would often say the baby’s name to her also so that she can remember it as well. Although she doesn’t know yet what Ate really means, I think it’s best to work on the role as early as now.

Spend QTT.

And I mean lots of it. The first three months will be dedicated to your newborn. Of course, there’s a bit of guilt on your part because as much as you would like to attend to your tot and make the old routine work, you also need to get more sleep than before and rest while you can. Helpers and other family members will greatly matter during this time to make her feel loved despite your little absence.

Spend time with other kids.

As much as you’d like to keep your tot all to yourself, she needs to be interacting with kids of different ages too to make her more comfortable being with others aside from family. Interaction with other kids will help her learn that the world does not evolve around her. Sharing and compromising through play will hopefully help her understand how life works outside her comfort zone- which is your home.

Don’t make your toddler wait.

I read an article that really hit me and it’s about not making her wait. The newborn will go through the sleep-feed-poop phase and that’s all that matters. Baby will not remember the times you changed his nappies but the toddler will remember when you refused to play with her or look at her latest drawings. She will remember those moments you spent with the newborn while saying no when she tags you to come and play with her luto-lutuan set. The problem is that she might resent her new sibling and it’s the last thing you would want to deal with at this point. Just remember that as much as you can, pay attention, play with her and involve her in taking care of the newborn. That way, she will really feel like an Ate. It’s a win-win situation for the both of you.

It’s so easy to write about all these now but I’m pretty sure it’ll be hard to deal with the situation once the baby’s here at home. Goodluck to me! For moms with two kids or more, how did you prepare your child or children for the new baby? Any tips? :)