Royal baby: Princess Charlotte warned that new siblings 'cry all night'

Pre-schooler Princess Charlotte was all smiles as she waved to the press waiting outside St Mary's Hospital where her baby brother was born. But how will she deal with her new sibling stealing the limelight from her? Children and staff from nurseries share their views.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital with their new baby son. Credit: Kensington Palace

Introducing a new baby to siblings can be a tough time for all parents, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, but experts believe the way you introduce a new family member can make a big difference to how a child views the new arrival.

Two-year-old Princess Charlotte and four-year-old Prince George met their new baby brother hours after he was born on St George’s Day (23 April) but the fact remains, a new sibling in the family can be a painful experience for pre-schoolers who don’t want the new kid getting all the attention.

What nursery children say

As the second child of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, she may still be fourth in line to the throne but even Princess Charlotte will have to give up her place as baby of the family. And so, children from nurseries across the UK have shared their views of what life was like for them. Some of these views, Princess Charlotte may do well to heed.

“My brother cried all night and kept me up”, warns one child at Tops Day Nursery Wimborne.

And yet, another child at the setting has wholeheartedly embraced their new sibling, stating: “That’s my baby”.

Some children at Tops Day Nursery Christchurch were quick to say they already knew a thing or two about their new sibling.

One toddler simply said: “My Mummy’s baby isn’t coming yet. "He is stuck in Mummy’s belly button”.

Another pre-schooler is already used to calling his sibling names, telling an early years teacher: “My baby’s name is ‘pirate baby’ ”.

Princess Charlotte gives a little wave as she and Prince George visit their baby brother with Prince William. Credit: Kensington Palace

What nursery managers say

Princess Charlotte began attending The Willcocks Nursery School in London on 8 January. The nursery school, which charges termly fees of £3,050 for morning sessions and £1,800 for afternoon sessions, says its ethos is ‘high standards, excellence and good manners’.

However, when jealously turns up with a new infant, nursery staff know only too well how a child's good manners can go out the window.

Ruby Saunders, nursery manager at Tops Day Nursery Winchester told daynurseries.co.uk: "We have recently had a child with a new baby brother who has told us that he loves his baby brother but 'sometimes he smells and is noisy'."

In response, she says staff at Winchester are prepared. "At Winchester, we have home link bags which the parents can take home. These bags contain a baby, nappies, clothes and bottles and a book about a new sibling. The children and the parents can role model and play with the baby at home.

"We also have books to support this transition and also allow the children to role play in our home corners. For older children, we allow them to come and meet some of our younger babies and maybe help by reading a book to them."

Stephanie Walker, nursery manager at Tops Day Nursery Wimborne, says: “When a child becomes a big brother or sister this can be a very exciting and scary time for children.

“It’s really important that as practitioners we prepare for this transition; and that the child feels secure and reassured. We introduce books into the setting such as ‘Waiting for baby’ by Rachel Fuller.

“We discuss the change with the children and adapt this into our environment such as washing babies in the home corner, visiting the younger baby unit and creating family trees.”

What mums say

Mums have a few tips themselves to pass on; in particular that a young child should be involved as early as possible before a new baby's birth.

Princess Charlotte on her first day of nursery. Credit: The Duchess of Cambridge

Mums have shared their thoughts with Families Online, an online resource of children’s activities. Mum Samantha Osborne, who has a two-year-old called Erin and a four-year-old named Arthur, says: “My biggest concern with introducing a new baby into the family was that Arthur would feel pushed out and jealous of the new baby 'stealing' the attention away from him.

"We asked that all visitors addressed Arthur before cooing over the new baby - asking him to show them his new sister or asking him to give her the gifts they bought - to ensure that he felt included and not just a bystander."

Getting child to pick baby's name 'may not work for William'

Mum Jennifer Glover to four-year-old Sebastian and a six-week-old Isabella, says Sebastian was “jealous during the first month, in particular, especially when his dad got anywhere near Isabella. We noticed certain changes in Sebastian’s behaviour such as him wanting to be carried more and he was bit more emotional and wanting a lot more attention from us.

“We involved Sebastian early on - after the 12 week scan. Sebastian loved listening to his baby sister’s heartbeat and each week I would show him a different piece of fruit and show him how big his sister was.

"We read about the babies development most nights at bedtime. We couldn't decide on a name so we narrowed it down to our top three and asked Sebastian what was his favourite name. He chose Isabella. That may not work for Kate and William but it certainly worked for us.”

NDNA says: 'Some children regress for a while'

Nicola Wardropper, National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Early Years Adviser, feels early years practitioners have a big role to play to help children like Princess Charlotte to get used to the idea of a new sibling.

She advises nursery staff to introduce the subject of a new baby in the family, "well before the baby is born to help them prepare and provide opportunities for them to discuss their feelings" - for example, through circle time.

She recommends early years staff share stories about babies and talk about brothers and sisters. She believes asking children to bring in baby photos is a good idea, as well as encouraging them to talk to toddlers about what they were like as a baby.

"Talk about what babies need and how older ones can help out", she adds, advising early years practitioners invite a parent to bring in their baby and ask their toddler to introduce their sibling to the children and staff.

But Ms Wardropper warns: "Accept that the toddler might be resentful and jealous of the baby, which is a normal reaction, and encourage them to share their feelings. Some children regress for a while, so a toilet-trained child may start wetting themselves again if they feel anxious.

"Focus on their positive behaviour during this temporary period and give them lots of praise to help them feel secure and valued."

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