Baby Entertaining | There are fewer things more entertaining for an infant than an older sibling. They bounce, they sing, they dance, they vibrate with energy – why not put that energy to good use and allow them to entertain the baby. If they’re not old enough, or will not sit still long enough, for them to actually hold the baby, place them in charge of the entertainment while you answer an email, answer the door or even get dinner from the freezer to the table. After all, you might as well put that energy to good use.
Feeding | There’s something about a baby that makes everyone want to feed it, and our little kids are no different. From the time the baby was born they were counting down the days until they could feed her scoops of food in a tiny spoon. Until then though, there’s always bottles. For an easy task, I pump a couple of times a week, for when we’re going to be at-home, giving the kids a turn to feed the baby, and a turn at that feeling an older kid can have when they can proudly announce that they fed the baby today.
Finding a bottle can be tricky though, but we’ve found the Philips Avent Natural bottles to work for our exclusively breastfed infant. I appreciated the wide top for easy filling, and less chance of spilling, and the fact that the nipples are breast-shaped, making it easy to go from breast to bottle, and bottle to breast. Available in plastic and glass, it gives parents versatile options for your needs, whether you’re using them occasionally or every day. Plus, they’re easy to clean – which you’ll appreciate if you’ve ever tried to clean a bottle with a narrow opening!
Hint: Want a tried and true feeding experience? Multiple Philips Avent products have won the PTPA Seal of Approval. The products have been used, tested and reviewed by parents, just like you.
Dressing | Helping with dressing, or something as simple as even choosing the pajamas that the baby is going to wear, is one of those things that my kids are obsessed with. So much so, that they take turns deciding what she’s going to wear, so far as setting out clothes for me to choose for her for the day, or the evening.
Bathing | Gently washing the baby with the washcloth, or pouring the shampoo on the cloth, even choosing the all-important toys for the bath tub is one of the fun things that older kids can do to take part in bath time and get involved in the care of the new baby.