'I feel angry for my newborn when my toddler screams at me about him'

"Her jealousy has come on suddenly - she was fine when we brought him home."

Turns out, there’s no age limit to sibling rivalry.

For example, no one is less thrilled about a newborn sibling than a toddler who was here first.

The arrival of a new baby can bring forth jealousy, battles for attention, and next-level tantrums. 

For one mother, what started as a seemingly smooth transition has taken a shocking turn.  

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"She collapsed into a breathless tantrum" 

Her  three-year-old daughter had her first-ever full-blown meltdown - all because she was holding her newborn son. 

“She almost went breathless because of it. The reason? I am holding her two-month-old brother."

The mum shared details of the experience online, explaining her "sweet" daughter had previously never shown signs of jealousy.

“He just got his vaccines and he’s in so much pain. So I said no to holding her,” the mother revealed. 

Cue toddler meltdown. 

“She collapsed into a breathless tantrum. I have no idea how to handle this without making it worse." 

As her daughter wailed and gasped for air, the mum was left stunned. She knew her little girl was experiencing big emotions, but so was she. 

“I feel angry for the poor baby,” she shared. 

“This was rough on me as it has come as a complete surprise. It was a steep escalation. She’s never shown any signs of jealousy before today.” 

Image: iStock

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"The true measure of what she's lost has hit her"

In search of guidance, the mum turned to Reddit to see how other parents had handled similar situations. 

Many reassured her that she was far from alone. 

“The newness of the baby has worn off for her, and the true measure of what she's lost (your undivided attention) has hit her,” read one comment. 

“I adopted the 'there’s room for everyone on mummy’s lap' motto,” another offered. 

A third revealed their tactic: “I said all the same things to the baby as I did to my toddler, just for the toddler’s benefit." 

Some parents recommended seeking help from a behaviour specialist, while others encouraged carving out dedicated one-on-one time with the older sibling.

The advice was warmly welcomed by the mother.

“Thank you, this is an eye opener,” she said.  

Originally published as 'I feel angry for my newborn when my toddler screams at me about him'