Becoming a father for the first time involves a number of adjustments for most men. First-time fathers to be are known to experience concerns about such issues as the health and well-being of their wives and newborns, the added financial responsibilities of a child, how their relationships with their wives will change, and how tell they will cope with being fathers. Much less is known about the concerns of men becoming fathers for the second, third, or fourth time. One can imagine, however that a number of the same concerns appear during each pregnancy.

For example, second-time fathers probably worry about the health of their wives and expected babies. how to  father more than one,  how an additional child will affect established family interaction patterns, and how the family will manage the added expenses. They also may  wonder how their first children will cope with the prospective changes and how they can divide the strong feelings of love that have been focused on the older child. In short, fathers, like mothers and children, are likely to experience some inner turnoil as their families grow. In additon, they are likely to have to cope with added responsibilities as they serve as liaisons between  hospitalized mothers and children at home, fill in for busier than usual mothers, and juggle demands from work and home. The more adequately fathers can cope with these conflicts and pressures the better they will be able to help their first children master stresses of becoming and having siblings.

However, when young children encounter stressful events, the balance between exploration and security tips, and the need for support and reassurance takes priority. Events that upset children’s familiar routines are especially difficult, since routines provide the framework within which new experiences become manageable.

For some children the experience of having and becoming a sibling is likely to be among the most stressful of early childhood. With the arrival of a new baby, both familiar routines and familiar relationships begin to take on unexpected dimensions, Mommy’s lap and Daddy’s attention may not be as available after the new baby’s birth, even though they may be needed more than ever. To many children the new baby seems to replace the old one. As Stein says, “And why would a mother want a new baby, unless the old one were not good enough?” Some clinicians even go so far as to compare the birth of a sibling to the death of a parent in terms of its potential significance for later personality development.

Some students who are overburdened at home by circumstances that make it necessary for them to “parent” siblings, hold a job, or care for an ill or impaired parent may find it impossible to keep up. Many times students who face overwhelming family or personal problems keep these problems to themselves. School counselors can help support a student and prevent failure if they are made aware of the problem.

Considered an important component of emotional health, self-esteem encompasses both self-confidence and self-acceptance. It is the way individuals perceive themselves and their self-value. Self-esteem is the way individuals think and feel about themselves and how well they do things that are important to them.

In children, self-esteem is shaped by what they think and feel about themselves. Their self-esteem is highest when they see themselves as approximating their “ideal” self, the person they would like to be. Children who have high self-esteem have an easier time handling conflicts, resisting negative pressures, and making friends. They laugh and smile more and have a generally optimistic view of the world and their life. Self-esteem comes from different sources for children at different stages of development. The development of self-esteem in young children is heavily influenced by parental attitudes and behavior. Supportive parental behavior, including encouragement and praise for accomplishments, as well as the child’s internalization of the parents’ own attitudes toward success and failure, are the most powerful factors in the development of self-esteem in early childhood. As children get older their experiences outside the home, in school, and with peers, become increasingly important in determining their self-esteem.