So there a new member of the family on the way. The anticipation is completely exciting and can be a bit overwhelming too. Besides all the normal things we do to get ready for a new baby. Sometimes we really don’t think about the transition that happens for an older sibling. Especially a toddler.
While I was pregnant, I was determined to help our son along with his new role. Here are some ways we helped him with his sibling learning.
Sibling Books
There are so many wonderful books out now about siblings. During our reading time, I used this opportunity to talk about all things “big brother” with our books. We were given gifted a wonderful one called, “The New Baby.” It’s short and sweet, touching on things like crying, diaper changes, and sharing.
Take Your Toddler to Doctors Visits
So easy for me to say right? For the most part, our son was at school during my doctor’s visits, but I purposely set aside several for him to come to. It was important for him to be a part of this process even if it was for a handful of times. The nurse even had him help her with checking the baby’s heartbeat. It is a moment, I will never forget. He also still talks about it to this day. Ultrasound appointments were fun too because he could actually “see” the baby mom and dad kept talking about.
Nursery Prep
What toddler doesn’t like to “help out”? We used this opportunity to have him put away clothes in the drawers, put the crib back together, add fun pictures on the walls and tons of other small things for a big impact. During these times we stressed how important it was for baby brother to have a cool fun place to sleep just like he does.
Talk “Sibling” Often
Every chance we got, we talked about the baby to help build anticipation. Asking him questions seemed to be fun, because toddlers say the funniest things. Some questions included:
- Are you ready to see your little brother(s)/sister(s)?
- What toys are you going to give him/her to play with?
- Do you think baby brother/sister would like this?
Go Shopping for the New Sibling
When I was about 8 months pregnant we took our son to shop for his little brother. We thought this would be a good opportunity for him to pick something out exclusively from him. This also helped him understand the time was near.
After an interesting time in the toy department, we found the perfect stuff animal he could present to his brother upon meeting him for the first time.
Well, I hope these ideas can help you get your toddler ready for their big sister or big brother role. Doing these things above also helped me with my mommy guilt. Subconsciously, you can feel upset that you aren’t as active with your child because you are preparing for another little person.
If you have already been down this road, what did you do to help your toddler for the new arrival? I would love to hear about them.
Got a question or want to collab? Send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!