Are you the parents of a nice little one, but are you already thinking about giving birth to a second child and are afraid how this will affect your relationship with your first-born, how will he react to the appearance of a competitor for parental love? In this article we will look at two main questions: How to prepare your first-born to the birth of a second child. Basic rules of behavior after arriving from the maternity hospital with a second child in your arms. Your fears are well founded. The birth of a second child is, first of all, a great stress for the first-born. Now all the attention and love is given only to him, but with the advent of his second baby he will lose a lot. Despite the talk that it is necessary to prepare the child in advance, my love is enough for two, unfortunately, in reality everything will be quite the opposite. If you still decide not to give up on your desire after the above, then try to at least take a break between children - this is at least four years. At the age of five, a child will already remember what it means to be the only one. In addition, she will be able to adequately respond to your requests. Of course, it is necessary to prepare the first-born for the arrival of the baby long before his birth, but not from the first days of pregnancy. If you have a history of miscarriages, then wait until the critical moment passes - this is closer to four months and you can already prepare your elder for the appearance of a brother or sister. How to do this?• Be sure to tell him how good it will be if he has a friend and playmate. For example, when your child asks you to play, focus on the topic: “You see, how nice it would be if you had a brother or sister, you would play together, etc.”; • Show him old photographs of him when he was little ;• Go to places where there are a lot of children more often, so he can feel how good it is to grow up in a big family. Invite friends with children to your place so that the baby learns to share toys with others; • As your belly grows, tell your firstborn that a brother or sister is growing inside you. Ask him to touch while the fetus is moving so that the child realizes that there is a living creature inside. But don’t get too carried away, try to do it unobtrusively, because anything can happen, no one is safe from accidents. If the birth is unsuccessful, it will be doubly difficult for you to answer the elder’s questions: “Why did mom come without a brother or sister?” • Ask your husband or grandmother to take on some of the responsibilities for caring for the older child. This could be reading a book before bed or taking a nap without mom during the day, that is, try to accustom the child to life without you. With the arrival of the baby, it will be easier for him to adapt.• Together with the baby, go through his old things: rompers, vests, diapers, bodysuits, little men. Ask him to choose the things that he would give to his brother or sister; if he doesn’t want to give something, don’t insist. • When the due date approaches, be sure to tell your baby where you are going. Tell him that you will think about him and, together with your little brother and sister, you will bring him a gift, and in the meantime, ask the first-born son and his dad to buy some gift for the baby who will soon be born. But don’t send your older child into “exile” with grandma for a week or two. This can cause deep psychological trauma to the baby. No matter how difficult it is, try to cope with both. Basic rules of behavior after arriving with a second child in your arms from the maternity hospital. While you are in the maternity hospital, enjoy the company of your second child; upon arrival you will not be before him, the older child will try with all his might to attract your attention: throwing tantrums on every occasion, or, on the contrary, will go deep into himself, withdraw himself and take a silent position. This behavior is much worse than open emotional display of dissatisfaction. Key tips: • Ask loved ones not to be too enthusiastic about the appearance of the baby. Especially mom shouldn't be too.