I always thought that my little boy would become jealous and possessive of my attention when his sister came into the world. To my utter surprise, he has shown virtually no jealosy and is wonderfully affectionate (albeit a bit bossy) and sweet to his baby sister.
Lately, he has become very anxious that she will get hurt. When she crawls around our living room (which is a safe, gated area), he often whimpers, "Mommy, pick up J. Feed her. Nurse her. Good mommy - keep feeding her. Hold her. She doesn't want to crawl. Just hold her!"
And if she ever tries to leave the living room? Forget it!
When I ask him what he is worried about, he says that he is scared she will get hurt or fall down the stairs. I do my best to explain to him that I am watching her and that she is safe. Most of the time, he remains unconvinced.
Honestly, I'm not sure what to do. On one hand, it's so sweet that he cares about her so much. On the other hand, the little girl needs some freedom to crawl and explore! I hate to reprimand her for caring about her - but sometimes he just won't stop insisting that I hold her.
For now, I'm assuming this is just a phase - and I'll continue talking with him about it. When it comes down to it, this is a good problem. I am grateful that my daughter has a big brother to look after her.
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