Baby + Bear: Overcoming “Sibling Rivalry” This Christmas

Lifestyle

 

witdelightsollybaby-56I grew up the oldest of three children. For the first few years of my life I was the sun that my parents rotated around. I had their undivided attention and adoration. Admittedly, I don’t remember any of this, but I used to imagine what life would be like sans a little brother and sister.

Eventually, my little sister arrived. And then a few years later, and with their attention even more divided, my brother made his appearance. All of a sudden I was competing for food, attention and (what I thought at the time) their love. Sibling rivalry was most notable during the holiday season.

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This year, we expanded our little family, and I was ready for the grand tradition of sibling to come with the holidays. For almost two years, Winnie Bear, our first child, had our undivided attention, love and disposable income come Christmas.

I saw some initial signs of jealousy and fear on her sweet little face during the entirety of my pregnancy. She seemed to know what was happening, even before the very physical signs were there. She barely left my side during the initial phases of my pregnancy, lying on my belly and when the belly was too big for Winnie, wrapping her not-so-little body next to mine, as if to soak up as much attention and physical connection with me as possible.

Then we brought August home. She sulked. She avoided being in the same room as the baby. She slept. She paced around the house, with no real destination in mind, just looking for someone to pay attention to her. Watching Winnie’s reaction, is how I imagine I behaved when my sister was brought home.

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What started out as tolerance (“It seems as if you are staying, so I guess I’ll have to make the most of it”) is growing in to love. In the four months since Winnie has had a little brother, they both are incredibly interested in what the other is doing and how to interact with each other. August can’t get enough of Winnie’s tail and fur. His eyes light up whenever he sees her head his way. And Winnie? She will kiss him at every opportunity. Each time she sneaks one in, the squeals of delight from August make her tail wag more furiously than I’ve ever seen.

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As a parent, I’m thrilled to see both of my kids get along so well, especially this year as we celebrate our first Christmas with both August and Winnie. Since this is our first holiday together, we thought it would be nice to present each of them with a gift from the other, a sibling present exchange. This is something that I remember my parents orchestrating when I was much younger, to try and quell the jealousy. I remember receiving a small bracelet “from” my infant brother during his very first Christmas. While I now know it wasn’t really from him, as a parent I can understand they were trying to strengthen the bond between us kids. I also remember spending an afternoon alone with a parent shopping for my brother and sister, taking time to find the perfect gift, all while spending quality time with my mom or dad.

This year, Winnie is giving August a stuffed bear. One that may or may not be replacing a bear that Winnie destroyed when we first brought August home. August purchased a few items for Winnie, a durable rope toy that I think Winnie has had her eye on since our last dog park visit; a bandana to keep her looking sharp and a big box of PEDIGREE® DENTASTIX™ Treats, to keep her breath so fresh and so clean.

I want to capture all of the snuggles and close, family moments from this Christmas, and as much as I’m used to sloppy, smelly kisses from Winnie (sorry, Bear!!), August is still a little guy and I want him to maybe not experience that much dog just now. PEDIGREE® DENTASTIX™ has provided us with dental treats to help Winnie with (ahem) her dog breath. We tested out the treats during a recent holiday shoot, and I’m pleased to say that her breath was fresher than it had been in a while. Not only do we get fresher breath, they help reduce plaque and tartar build-up. (Admittedly, we’ve been lax on oral care for our dog in the last few months. I’m a horrible mother.) I can tell, but I’m not certain if August noticed a difference, he was too busy smiling and laughing at his “big sister”.   

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Ed. note: This post was sponsored by PEDIGREE® Dentastix Treats. The compensation received in exchange for placement on Wit & Delight is used to purchase props, hire a photographer and videographer, write/edit the blog post and support the larger team behind Wit & Delight.

While compensation was received in exchange for coverage, all thoughts and opinions are always my own. Sponsored posts like these allow for development of additional dynamic content to be produced, unsponsored. Thank you for supporting our partners!

BY Kate Arends - December 14, 2016

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Molly
December 14, 2016 11:26 am

This is a great reminder, as I need it more than ever right now. We brought our new baby home in July as well, and our Gretta was less than amused. We tried our best to prepare her for what was to come, but ultimately, nothing can prepare your sweet pups for such a drastic change. Gretta was my entire world for four whole years; her face plastered all over my social media feeds, only to be replaced by our new baby. She longs for our attention and we try our best, but honestly need to try harder. I love… Read more »

Joanna Cendrowski
December 19, 2016 1:52 pm
Reply to  Kate Arends

Great post! No kiddos yet for me, but we do have two fur babies, and I remember the same jealousy when Penny came into Argo’s life. Now I am so thankful they have each other for those moments/days that I can’t give them the attention they need or want. I will say, I see a lot of parents feeling guilty about not giving their pups the attention they did pre-baby, but I think as soon as that kid is walking and more mobile the dog will gain more attention and love from that little tiny human, and more purpose then… Read more »

Natalie Seidel
December 14, 2016 12:46 pm

Can you share where you got that adorable Dog Bed?

Mun
December 16, 2016 4:19 am

aww winnie..

Elizabeth
January 3, 2017 11:02 am

Thank you so much for sharing! We haven’t had a baby yet, but I do think about how hard this transition will be once our 4-year-old Australian Shepherd isn’t the only child anymore. Thankfully, he’s more crazy about my husband who takes him to the ranch to herd the cows, hunt, etc. I don’t see this changing much even after having a baby so I’m hoping the one-on-one attention will help. On another note, is that an Article sofa? How is it with a dog & baby? Are the tufts in the seat hard to clean?

February 5, 2018 8:50 am

I believe there are many other people who are interested in them just like me!

Himanshu mishra
May 11, 2018 5:12 am

Play one of the most popular card game spider solitaire here http://spidersolitaire.me without any download and signup the goal of the game is to make the set of cards in ascending order in four rows.

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