Preparing for the birth of your first child is an endeavor that is largely restricted to you and your partner. When the second child comes along, though, you have to make special considerations for preparing the first one. Jealousy and other issues are natural occurrences in such situations; however, there are plenty of great ways to prepare your child for his new sibling. A few of the very best tips are highlighted below.

Use the Right Language – Try not to refer to the new baby as “the baby” or “my baby.” Instead, use terms like “our baby,” “your baby,” “your brother” or “your sister.” This will help your child understand that, while the new baby is going to become a part of the family, she’s not going to usurp his own place within it.

Promote Fatherly Bonding – Ideally, your husband will already play a very important role in the life of your first child. However, it’s even more important for him to bond with your first child before the new baby arrives. Despite your best intentions, you’re going to be devoting a lot of time to the new baby; your older child is bound to feel left out. With dad on his side, though, it won’t sting as much.

Discuss Baby Names Together – Make your older child a part of the planning for the new baby by allowing him to come up with name possibilities with you. Otherwise, run some of the names that you are considering by him to make him feel like a part of the process.

Handle Major Changes Before the Birth – If potty training or other things need to be taken care of, make sure that they are done before the new baby arrives. Otherwise, you and your child will be too flummoxed by all of the excitement that the new addition brings.

Bring Him Along to Your Doctor Appointments – Take your older child with you to your prenatal appointments. Let him listen to his new brother or sister’s heartbeat and view the ultrasound.

Let Him Help You Pack – When the time to prepare a hospital bag arrives, let your older child help you out. Be sure to tuck a picture of him into the bag – and let him see you do so. This will make him feel wanted and needed.

Reassure Him of His Importance – Take time to talk about your older child’s own babyhood with him. Tell him stories about when he came home. Let him know how proud you are of him for growing up into such a big boy, and make sure that he knows that he has an important place in the family.

Let Him Help You Prepare the Baby’s Room – As you decorate and arrange the new baby’s room, let your older child give you a hand. Take him along when you pick out accessories and decorations for the room; let him choose a few things himself.

The key thing to keep in mind when it comes to preparing a child for a new sibling is that he needs to feel special, too. Make sure to have well-wishers bring along gifts for him – and include a present to him from the new baby, too! All of these little touches will ensure that your child welcomes his new sibling with open arms.