Q The three-year-old child I care for coped well with the arrival of her brother six months ago. She has never seemed jealous. However, recently, she has become fractious and difficult when other children visit and doesn't want to share her toys. Yesterday, in the supermarket, she pushed over a younger toddler who was standing in the aisle. She looked worried but refused to say sorry.
A How do we know when a child is 'coping well' with the arrival of a sibling? It is hard to imagine small children not feeling jealous, certainly perplexed, and wondering 'Why did mummy and daddy want a baby, when they already had one?' They may come up with worrying answers: 'Because they forgot they had a baby.'
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