What mitigating actions can be taken to assist in preventing unwanted behaviours in elder siblings when a younger sibling is born

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated mitigating actions that can be taken to help prevent unwanted behaviours in older siblings upon the birth of a younger sibling. It focused on two main goals: to assist parents in alleviating undesirable reactions experienced by their firstborns when a new sibling arrives and to highlight some methods that can be used to contain the older child’s feelings before and after a younger sibling is born to increase the stability felt by the older siblings and help them adjust. This study relied on semi-structured interviews with eight Saudi mothers who had experience in reducing the feelings of jealousy among their children upon the arrival of a new sibling in the family. The data were transcribed and analysed following the thematic analysis approach to reach an in-depth understanding of the subject. This study investigated the measures taken to reduce the phenomenon of the older child's jealousy and compared it with the rate of jealousy in several aspects: the preparation of elder siblings, the role of parents and family relations, and external factors that have an effective role in reducing this phenomenon. Scholars have also emphasised the vital role played by the preparation period before the new sibling is born because how the older child behaves before a new sibling is born can be an indication of how they will behave after the birth. The results of this study indicated some measures that helped parents overcome or reduce jealousy in older siblings through the experience of mothers.