When your child feels overlooked and wants whatever a sibling or friend has: this story helps them work through jealousy.
A personalized picture book in which your child is the hero — and masters this challenge themselves. The first story is free.
Create This StoryThe baby has barely arrived home and your older child suddenly wants a bottle again and a ride in the stroller too. Or they're sitting at a friend's birthday table, hissing at you: “That's not fair, he got way more presents than me!” Sentences like these catch many parents off guard — suddenly your own child seems petty or ungrateful, when really it's just the fear of losing out.
Jealousy shows up because children can't yet think about attention, affection or belongings in the abstract — what counts for them is only what's visible right now: who's being carried, who gets the bigger piece. A sense of fairness develops early, but without yet grasping that different needs can be met differently. The baby needs more closeness right now not because it's favored, but because it's smaller — understanding that difference takes time and a lot of repetition.
A story helps because it makes this uncomfortable feeling nameable, without your child having to feel ashamed of it. They see a character feeling exactly the same thing — the wanting more, the anger at perceived unfairness — and realize: I'm not alone with this, and I'm not bad for feeling it. Through the story, your child can also rehearse in their mind how a conversation about jealousy can turn out well, before the next real fight over a present or attention breaks out.
In the personalized story, your child — with their own face on every page — lives through exactly this comparison with a sibling or a friend and finds a way through the jealousy, without their feelings being brushed aside. The story shows how “I want that too” can turn, step by step, back into a good feeling about themselves. The first story is free to try, so you can easily check whether it fits what's happening at home right now.
Day to day: take the jealousy seriously instead of talking it down (“You don't need to be jealous”) — the feeling is there whether it's allowed or not. Plan deliberate one-on-one time with just this child; even ten minutes often makes a difference. Avoid comparisons (“Look how nicely your sister does it”) and instead name what each child individually gets. If jealousy stays sharply fixed on one sibling for months, with lasting rejection or aggression, talk to your pediatrician or a family counselling service.
Naming feelings, coping with comparison, building self-worth, patience with siblings, asking for attention.
3-8 years
Yes, it's one of the most common reactions to a new sibling and is usually temporary. It doesn't mean your child rejects the baby — it means they're afraid of losing out themselves, and regular one-on-one time with you usually helps a lot.
Better not to — the feeling is there whether it's allowed or not, and talking it down usually just makes it stronger. Instead, acknowledge it (“You're disappointed because...”) while also showing that it's still possible to change something.
Explain the difference between fair and equal: each child gets what they need right now, not necessarily the same thing at the same time. Name concretely what this child is getting for themselves, instead of weighing the situation against the other child.
A certain amount is a normal part of any sibling relationship and can even help a child recognize and voice their own needs more clearly. It only becomes a concern when it persists for months, intensifies, or tips over into rejecting the sibling.
If it stays sharply focused on one sibling for months, comes with lasting rejection or aggression, or your child's self-worth is visibly suffering, talk to your pediatrician or a family counselling service.
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