What are some common feelings that siblings experience when a new baby is added to the family?
Usually mixed at all ages, but there are certain differences and degrees depending upon the ages between the siblings as well as the baby’s gender. The mixed feelings are usually envy, anger, and excitement, but frequently shown through behavior rather than words. In other words, most older siblings go through a normal regression when they experience the arrival of a new sibling. Children under the age of eight also question “why” their parents had another child. Because of their level of development, they sometimes think it was because they were not “good enough” or the “wrong” gender. It is important that parents clarify that having another baby was NOT due to something insufficient in the existing one.
