Teaching gentle

[adniladnil]

Hi everyone

My little girl will be about 18 months old when our new baby arrives and I'd love to hear any ideas on how to teach her to be gentle!

She's about 12 months old right now and doesn't have much idea of being careful of others. I'm sure this is normal for a baby her age, but if there is anything I can do to help her understand before the new baby arrives I'm keen to do it!

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Linda

[QTB]

my DS was 11 months when my niece was born... he was really intereted in her... we had to teach him gentle... started out using anything and everything, the couch, tv etc

we be gentle to the tv *use his hand to rub the tv gently*

then moved onto people, we be gentle to aunty ty *rub aunty with his hand*

then eventually onto claire... by the time he got to her he had it down pat!

he still uses gentle now the same way
:D

[UmmInayah]

Maybe you could get her a doll, especially for her? Show her with the doll how you need to be gentle.. you can say things like "We have to be gentle with the baby" instead of saying doll.. And then when the baby comes, you'll still be saying baby and she will already be familiar with that.

[sja]

I agree with the above post. Get her a doll, a box for the doll to sleep in, a blanket, and some doll's bottles. Before the new one comes along, show her how to take care of her baby. Then when your baby comes along she can look after hers at the same time. She'll see that you wrap your baby just like she wraps hers, and she'll know about putting the baby to bed.

We did this with our oldest - she was 13.5 months when her little sister came along. It worked a treat. She was always so gentle with her (until she could walk properly and then big sis decided she was fair game).

[biscotti]

We've bought our 14 mth old a doll as I am 37/38 wks.

:laughing: Let's see....:detective: ...that doll gets dragged around by it's neck, pushed down the slide headfirst, has been thrown into a full bath, walked on, and gets put to sleep face down with a blanket over it's head :laughing:

...not sure the doll thing is working for us :cool: :D