Don’t feed the new baby pizza.
Sound like common sense? Well, not if you’re 3 years old.
“We talk to the kids a lot about what babies eat and why they don’t eat what big people eat,” says Lisa Weston, the instructor of the popular Welcome New Sibling class at Sun Health Del E. Webb Hospital. “By the time the class is finished, everyone knows not to feed baby unless mom or dad is there.”
Weston, who teaches the two-hour class, says the goal of the program is to let new siblings “celebrate” becoming a brother or sister. “We want young children to understand that they have a wonderful function as a big brother or sister and we want them to be included in the idea of an expanding family. They now get to be the Big Helper.”
Hundreds of parents throughout the west Phoenix area have taken advantage of this special class during the last several years. “A friend of mine told me about the class, so I signed up my 5-year-old daughter Bailey,” say Marisa Deresz who gave birth to Bailey’s little brother Robert in May. “The class was great and really taught Bailey a lot of lessons about what can and can’t be done in handling a new baby.”
The Welcome New Sibling class is suggested for children ages 3 to 7 prior to the arrival of the new baby or for three months postpartum. Parents attend with the children and get some hands-on refresher instructions on how to care for a newborn.
The class covers a number of topics including: holding, feeding and changing the new baby. All the “students” sit on the floor and “practice” in the inter-active class. Children are also encouraged to share their feelings about becoming a brother or sister. “We ask them if they are excited or nervous or worried about the arrival of the baby. Parents listen to the answers and can then provide the child appropriate feedback,” says Weston.
Most children who attend the class have some concerns about “protecting their turf. I reassure them that nothing is going to be taken away,” says Weston. “Usually, girls are more apprehensive than boys about a new baby and the changing dynamics.”
Included in the class is a tour of the Nesting Place obstetrical suites at the hospital, and art project and a video.
Weston says a lot of time also is spent on toy safety. Each child is given a cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels. If a toy fits through the tube, it is too dangerous for a baby, says Weston.
“Bailey has a lot of small toys,” says new-mom Deresz. “The demonstration with the tube really helped her understand that a baby could choke on those small toys. It was very helpful.”
Sun Health Del E. Webb is one of the few hospitals in the Phoenix area offering this course for siblings. It is held on a Saturday, once a month. The fee is $20. For more information visit www.sunhealth.org/delwebb.
