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From: janr@tekecs.UUCP (Jan Rowell)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: Preparing the Way for No. 2
Message-ID: <3955@tekecs.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 3-Aug-84 23:27:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekecs.3955
Posted: Fri Aug  3 23:27:57 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 5-Aug-84 07:43:21 EDT
References: <403@astrovax.UUCP>
Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR
Lines: 25

I think it's great that your older child is so positive about
the baby. My two kids are exactly 6 years apart -- Pete just turned 7,
and Katie is now a year old. Although he's basically a pretty
secure kid, Pete had some real anxiety before Katie was born. In
fact, the night before I went into labor, he started talking 
about committing suicide or running away from home because he 
was sure no one would love him after the baby came. (This 
came at a time of great family stress -- moving, pregnancy 
complications, his having been away at my parents' house for 
3 days.)  Needless to say, we were pretty freaked out by it. 
Fortunately, she was born the next day and he was able 
to see that his fantasies were *not* realistic! He's been 
a great big brother to her, and she absolutely adores him. 
I think because he's so much older, he is somewhat parental to
her -- not in a bossy way, just sort of doting and paternalistic.
It's pretty sweet.

We've been happy having our kids far apart. The one negative I
can think of is that it's harder to find family activities when the 
kids are far apart. 

One thing I think is important is to continue to do things just
with your older child. 

Good luck!