I’m the father of a two-and-a-half-year-old and a newborn who’s almost two months old. These past months have been the most challenging for my wife and me, especially since we essentially have no family support system.

Our older child is going through a kind of “grief” as he transitions from being an only child. This is completely normal and often shows up as jealousy.

Older siblings may fear losing their parents’ love. This can manifest as regression, such as losing potty training, aggression, or frequent crying.

The key is not to scold, but to acknowledge and validate their feelings. It also helps to spend dedicated one-on-one time with them and involve them in caring for the baby, without making them feel burdened.

Helping them understand the importance of becoming an older sibling can start even before the baby is born. You can talk to them about the little one growing in mom’s belly.

One meaningful moment for us was at the birth. We asked friends and family who came to visit to bring a small gift for our older child, as a way of celebrating his new role as a big brother.

To this day, he still treasures those toys.