Hi Melissa! Definitely not an expert here but we have a 3.5 year old who is VERY protective and loving towards her 1 year old brother. One of the things we did early on was say “I think he likes it best when you hold him!” “Look, you always know how to make him smile.” “He always perks up whenever you’re in the room- he must love you so much!” “How come nobody else can get him to laugh but you?! It’s clear he’s crazy about you!” We just consistently made remarks about how much the little one liked the big one and she started to take ownership of that. So then, when it was time for him to learn how to sit, crawl, walk etc we would always comment “Oh gosh, you taught him that! He wants to be just like you!” Slowly but surely she has become completely obsessed with him AND the thought that she taught him everything he knows! hehe
Reply To: Encourage affection
Welcome to the water cooler, friends!
Please take a peek at our Forum Policy before diving in.