Adding a new child to the family

Preparing for a new child to arrive, whether by birth or adoption, is an exciting time. But if you already have a child or children, there can be tensions when that dynamic is about to change.

For an episode of the Parenting for Faith podcast, Parenting for Faith team members Anna Hawken and Lucy Rycroft chatted about how they’ve navigated these changes in their families. Anna has three birth children and, at time of interview, was expecting her fourth. Lucy has two birth children and two adopted children.

Anna and Lucy share the highs and lows of bringing a new child into the family as well as practical things we can do to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Listen now (trigger warnings: miscarriage, new babies/family members):

Links from the episode:

• Related by Adoption
• Lucy’s Adoption Cheerleaders course 
• Take them a meal
• The bedtime routine: what is important? – article Anna mentioned in the episode

You might also be interested in:

• Supporting families facing transitions
• Catching Whilst Pregnant, Waiting to Adopt or with a Baby
• Helping our children develop character through sibling rivalry