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Prepping for new baby

KER08KER08 member
in Toddlers: 24 Months+
I am currently 27 1/2 weeks pregnant and I have a 3 year old boy. He knows there is a baby in my belly and what the baby's name is and all that jazz. But what did you do to prepare your first child for a new baby? Anything special? I think he'll be fine, a little jealous at first but then will become the protective big brother, but just thought I would see what others have done to help prep.
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Re: Prepping for new baby

  • jc&catjc&cat member

    DS loved all the big brother books and did a great job to welcome his sister. I think the books were a huge help. "I"m a new big brother" was his favorite. Froggy's Baby Sister and Little Critter and Berenstain Bears have some sibling books too. There was some jealous moments but overall i was pretty surprised he did so well. Keep him involved too since he is old enough to do stuff with you for baby's arrival. Even painting or drawing a picture for the babys room is something special.

    I went out a few days before DD was born and bought a small car and a book for DS "from" DD. He still remembers that his blue car and george baseball book was from DD. That was 2.5 years ago!

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  • JMU_Bride09JMU_Bride09 member
    We just talked to DS1 a lot about the baby and had him "hug the baby" (my bump) every night before bed. DH bought him a special toy for when DS2 was born so that he didn't feel left out.
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  • azaretskyazaretsky member
    We'll be in this boat soon - just wanted to thank you for the post!
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  • KER08KER08 member
    Thank you so much for the great ideas!
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  • CopperT0pCopperT0p member
    We told DS about me being pregnant from the day we found out. 
    Since then he's loved to rub my belly to "rub the baby's back" and sing the baby to sleep. 
    He will tell other people "shhhh, baby is sleeping".
    I talk to him a lot about how baby is going to need a lot of attention and how Mum is going to need a lot of help from DS and Daddy.  He loves to help when I'm doing laundry for the baby or sorting out the baby's room.  I think involving him now is going to help him once the baby comes. 

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  • returnhomegnomereturnhomegnome member
    edited November 2013
    Don't go overboard on the baby talk!  :)  It's a big adjustment for the whole family, but you can take it all in stride together. I told my first that babies are a bit boring when they first come home, because I could tell my LO was excited to "play with" the baby and thought of a crawling or walking baby. I told her we could snuggle the baby and dress the baby and feed it and show it things, but that it would sleep a lot too. But that as the baby grew we could show it more and more, and teach it games.
    When baby came I tried to give LO space and not ask her to be doing things for me/baby all the time. But of course sometimes she'd want to be involved and help with things, and that was great. She was super loving and sweet toward the baby, but also, a teeny bit aloof. Because, honestly, they DO sleep a ton, and sort of lie-around in a boring manner! (well, if I were three I'd think it boring).
    Good luck!
    ps- babies are pretty hearty too, so even if your oldest one is squishing the baby a bit too much during a hug or kiss, unless it makes the baby cry, I tend not to correct the child... just to model gentleness, or to instruct on how to "share" toys and tuck in w blanket. I know newborns seem super delicate, but so is the sibling relationship, so I erred on the side of encouragement and overlooked the occasional head-bonk kiss or rough snuggle.
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  • dairygirl19dairygirl19 member

    I honestly haven't talked my kid that much either about a new baby. I feel like I still have 12 weeks to go. That's a long time in my 2.5 year old's world. I mean she thinks lunch is an eternity a way.

    We talk about my belly (she thinks she has a baby in hers too...ha) and when we play dolls I talk about what babies do.

     

    I don't push it all that much. I figure I'll let her grow and adjust as it happens. I don't want to scare her/make her too nervous before hand either.

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  • Mrs_D_in_KYMrs_D_in_KY member
    We've been involving our almost 4 year old in everything with the baby. We tell him what he did as a baby and let him know the new baby will probably do the same thing. We also tell him we will get the new baby a present. Then our idea is to have the baby give him a present once it arrives. It's too cute, he tries to talk go the baby all the time

    DS #1 born January 2010. DS #2 due June 2014.

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  • ThatWasAHootThatWasAHoot member
    DS was 20 months when DD was born.  We got him his own baby to play with.  He loved it!  We taught him how to behave with a baby and how to be gentle, etc.  When the baby was born, we got him a little present for when he came to meet her in the hospital.  It was a silly toy like a little train or something.  He kept showing it to the baby and saying to her in a high voice "Look at my train, babyyyyy" lol 
    When we got home, we let him "help" with the baby, too.  Very minor things like getting a wipe from the container or telling him we need big brother to come make the baby happy.  We find that referring to him as big brother makes him feel very special.  He loves it. 
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