Before the newborn baby come out, as your due date gets closer, step up your game: Talk even more about the baby. What will happen when we go to the hospital? How can (your child’s name) help with the baby? Where will baby sleep? What can’t (your child’s name) do with baby? (Can’t feed Cheerios, can’t jump on, can’t hold without help, etc) Just make sure to make your dialog positive so your child doesn’t feel restricted. Try something like, “The baby can’t have the food you eat because he’s so little. You’re a big girl and get to have all the yummy things and all baby gets is boring milk!”
 
Get a gift for your older child “from” the new baby: When your first gets to meet the new baby, give her something you know she will love and emphasize that it’s from the baby. This is a positive first interaction and your toddler will remember how cool her new sibling is! Just make sure to include batteries if needed. We got our toddler a bubble machine but forgot the batteries so it was a disaster. She went from total excitement to complete distraught and I’m pretty sure she blamed her baby brother for the “broken” toy.

One more tip: give the gift AFTER the two kids meet and you get all the pictures you want or else your toddler might be too excited to play with the toy instead of sit with the baby.

At first meeting, have baby in his bassinet, not your arms: Letting your first run into your open and empty arms shows her that she is still loved, she’s still important to you, and she can still be put first. Then bring baby over. The baby can wait; the toddler cannot: In most cases, it’s okay to let your infant cry in a safe place while you tend to your toddler. It’s the older child who will remember your attention and help, or lack thereof; the baby won’t know any different. If your older child starts to feel neglected, her trust that you’ll be there might be lost and the tantrums will be more frequent.