I’ve done it four times before. I now have five wonderful grandchildren, all belonging to my daughter and her husband. They range in age from 11 years to 15 months. A new baby is due to make his appearance sometime in the next two weeks. So as you can see, I’ve had a bit of experience helping my grandchildren adjust to new siblings! The pictures are of my grandkids when the last baby, Titus, was born.

I’m blessed that my grandkids live only fifteen minutes away. So when it comes time for the new baby to arrive, they’ll be hustled over to our house to stay a few days. They look forward to their stay, as do we. But it certainly won’t be the first time we will have talked about the new addition on its way.

Here are a few tips I’ve learned that seem to have helped my grandchildren adjust to a new baby in the family.

• Allow open and honest communication.
• Validate their feelings, whether positive or negative, without judging.
• Give them opportunities to talk about the upcoming changes. What do they look forward to? What do they dread? What can they do to help Mom and Dad? What kind of personality do they hope their new sibling will have? What do you think he’ll look like?
• Always speak favorably about the new baby, even when talking about the challenges that may come with it.
• If they’ll stay with you when the baby is born, provide a special place for them to sleep. Even if it’s just on a couch or the floor, stock it with books they love or a cuddly stuffed animal to snuggle with so they know they’re especially loved and welcome.
• Pray with them about their new family member and their role as an older sibling.
• Above all, love, love, love those grandchildren before, during, and after the new baby comes.

You can provide stability for your grandchildren through life’s big changes. Do it with warmth, firmness if necessary, a smile, and a hug. They’ll remember with fondness the time they spent with you.

How have you helped your grandchildren adjust to a new baby?