The holidays may be the season of giving, but for little ones, that means it’s the season of sharing, too. When a new baby arrives, it can be hard for older siblings to share the things they may have had all to themselves before: things like new toys, treats and especially the attention of family and friends. But experienced moms have found that giving a little extra thought to the gifts and activities of the holidays can help ease that jealousy. Some tips to take care of seasonal sibling rivalry include:

 Single out your firstborn. When you bring a newborn to holiday gatherings, it’s easy for your older child to feel jealous of all the attention the baby gets. Making a point to mention something special about your older child to the group will help direct attention his way and make him feel equally special. 

 Keep things as equal as possible... Many moms have found it’s helpful to keep the number of gifts and their sizes about the same. Older children tend to compare gifts, so even if the baby gets something like a swing or activity center that your older one wouldn’t want, he may feel slighted that he didn’t get a giant gift, too.

 …but play up differences, too. It may be helpful to explain in simple language that your older child and the baby are different people, so they can like and do different things. If he is jealous of a gift or something the baby got to do, try pointing out something he got that the baby didn’t.

 Promote sharing. Try looking for family gifts that can be enjoyed together, whether it’s an outing like a trip to the zoo or local theme park, or a fun at-home activity like an arts and crafts table or a family-friendly game that everyone can play together.

 Make a date. Some moms like to plan something special for just their older child to make sure he still gets some special holiday time. Experienced-mom favorites include anything from taking a few moments to share a cup of hot cocoa to making a special car trip to look at holiday lights after the baby’s gone to bed.