Boy, 11, Disconnects From Family After Half Sister's Birth
Filed under: Siblings, Expert Advice: Tweens  Dear AdviceMama,
I was hospitalized for a month after having a new baby girl, and
during that time my 11-year-old son, who was looked after by his
stepdad (my husband), started getting into trouble at school.
Now his grades are also slipping. I'm concerned about how to get
him to join into the new baby experience without him getting
jealous. He lives on Xbox and I have to threaten him to do
anything with us. Please help!  Concerned Mom  Dear Concerned,
Think of all the things your 11-year-old has had to deal with in
the last few weeks: His mother was gone for a month because of a
medical condition and he was left in the care of his stepdad.
You reappeared with a new little sister to care for while
healing from whatever required you to stay in the hospital. And
suddenly there was a newborn requiring constant attention,
making it easy for him to slip into the background.  It's easy
to see that your son ma