Many families know firsthand what child jealousy is. In order to prevent such a situation from arising, moms and dads should in advance, even during pregnancy, think about how to avoid this.
Parents should pay as much attention as possible to the eldest child, spend a lot of time with him, say affectionate words to him, prepare for the appearance of a brother or sister. Emphasis must be placed on the fact that the older child is still very much loved and dear.
When the baby is born, the mother must constantly tell the older child that when he was just born, his parents also spent a lot of time with him. Mom and Dad, if possible, should not alienate the older child from themselves, but, on the contrary, ask for help, consult with him.
How is child jealousy manifested?
Jealousy in different children manifests itself in different ways and with different strengths. If an older child has jealousy, he can withdraw into himself, carrying a wide variety of thoughts in his head.
An older child may begin to compare who gets more materially or spiritually, in parental attention, and love.
Most often, childhood jealousy occurs in children who have not reached the age of five. At this time, they are still very dependent on their parents and cannot understand much.
For some people, the feeling of childhood jealousy remains for life, so parents should do everything to cope with the jealousy of a child even in childhood.
There is a small percentage of children who are jealous of their younger brother or sister towards their parents. They want to take care of a new family member themselves, but mom and dad do not allow it.
How to deal with jealousy?
If the risk of childhood jealousy is possible, then parents should take a closer look at the older child's behavior to see if it has changed. This is necessary in order not to miss the moment when everything can still be corrected.
To prevent the older child from becoming jealous of mom and dad for the younger, parents should talk more heart to heart with him, spend their free time. If suddenly a child begins to misbehave, there is no need to scold him, punish him, compare with other children or shame him. Perhaps the kid with his behavior decided to simply draw the lost attention of his parents to himself.
In no case should you compare children with each other. If there is a fight or a quarrel, then mom or dad should side with the weak, and not the younger.
For children to grow up in peace and harmony, parents should share their time equally between them. For example, if mom is walking with her younger brother, then dad should devote time to the older child.
If the parents approach the problem of childhood jealousy wisely, then they will be able to resolve the situation that has arisen. If they cannot cope on their own, then they can turn to specialists for help.
