Book for big-sister-to-be

I am thinking about how I can help prepare my daughter for her new sibling coming in [name_u]August[/name_u]. She will be around 2 years 2 months at that point, so I know that there is not really anything I can do to make her really ‘get it’ as she is just too young. I know 3-4 year olds who have not really grasped what is going on when their mothers are expecting a little sibling so this is going to be a big shock to the system for my daughter whatever we do.

But she likes books so I thought maybe a nice one about a young child becoming a big sister/brother could help her a little, and would also be useful after the baby comes (she loves books that discuss things that she can recognise from her own life). Has anyone used a book like this for an older sibling around the same age as my daughter, and would you recommend it?

Also, any other tips from parents who have been there? [name_m]How[/name_m] did your older child react and was there anything you did that seemed to make it easier for them? I am a bit worried about my daughter as she is such a mamma’s girl and she is also moving to a different department of her playschool at the end of [name_u]July[/name_u] (straight after summer holidays). It is the same school, but it won’t seem like that to her as she will be in a different building with different staff (old staff will be with them for a week to help them adjust). She will be with the same children and routines and stuff will be consistent but it’s still a big change, so with a new sibling in mid-[name_u]August[/name_u] it just seems like a lot to throw at her at once :frowning: We are not planning on any other big changes like moving bedrooms, transition to big bed, potty training etc (unless she asks for it I guess) until new baby is 4-5 months old at least.

I too am expecting [name_u]Baby[/name_u] no 2 and my little girl will be about 2 years 5 months old when her little sister is born.

We’ve been reading Waiting for [name_u]Baby[/name_u] and then just looking for books about having a sibling at the library. We talk about the baby in Mama’s tummy and show her pictures of the ultrasound. She kind of understands, but of course she really won’t get it until baby is here. Luckily my cousin-in-law who we are close to just had her third baby so she has seen a baby and her cousins have a new baby brother.

Good luck! I too am nervous as to how my girl will react when baby is born. Hoping some other Mama’s come and give us some advice or experiences they’ve had with it.

Haha we showed her the pic from our 12 week scan and she said ‘picture’. She had no clue what it was and to be honest I can’t blame her, we got one of the ‘face-on’ shots that just looks like a skull and not even really a human at all. We told her it was a baby but she clearly didn’t recognise it as such, although she likes pointing out pictures of babies and toddlers when she sees them. I suppose we could cheat and show her the ultrasound pics of herself since we got good ones of her!

She has a new baby cousin, about 4 weeks old, and I was thinking that seeing him could be helpful in understanding what really little babies are actually like. She hasn’t met him yet because it’s peak disease season and obviously she is a toddling mass of germs from playschool, but hopefully we can go visit soon enough.

I have been telling her there is a baby in my tummy and saying that soon she’ll have a little brother or sister and sometimes she repeats the words I say, but honestly I can see that she has no clue what I’m on about.

They had a super cute big sister book at target the other day! Let me see if I can find it…
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JAWPS9C/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1488240757&sr=8-10

** disclaimer, I only read a few pages because I’m freakishly emotional after having my baby and it was making me tear up.

Yeah the 12 week pics for both of ours aren’t very good either. Our 20 week scan she could tell it was a baby though. I would say showing her her pictures could work too for her to see that’s a baby in Mama’s tummy.

Isla does talk about baby Sophie and kisses my tummy, but I think while she grasps some part of it she won’t actually get it until the baby is here.

I’ve been using the Berenstain Bears’ [name_m]New[/name_m] [name_u]Baby[/name_u] with my daughter, who is 20 months (the one where the second baby is born, not the awful one with the third baby because I hate the ones that are all about how jealous the older kid is.) I don’t know how much she really understands about it but it has a very low-key story where [name_m]Little[/name_m] [name_m]Bear[/name_m] outgrows his bed and Papa [name_m]Bear[/name_m] makes him a new, big-kid one just in time for his new baby sister to get his old baby bed. It’s kind of a gentle way to say, hey, you’re growing up, you’re the big one now, and you also have this fun new little sister. I’ve liked the book since I was a little kid.

One thing that my parents did for me when my sisters were born was letting me pick out a stuffed animal for them. For my middle sister, we went right after she was born (like literally right after I met her in the hospital the morning after she was born) and I picked out a blue unicorn who I named [name_u]Aspen[/name_u] that [name_f]Leah[/name_f] still has in her bed to this day (she’s 14 and probably wouldn’t like me saying that). When [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] was born, we went about a week before and [name_f]Leah[/name_f] and I both picked out animals for her. [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] isn’t as sentimental about her things so they’re probably both in her toy box or somewhere. I also received a Big [name_f]Sister[/name_f] pin after [name_f]Leah[/name_f] was born (the hospital gave it out but I’m sure you could find them online or make one. We got stickers for [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]'s birth, still fun but not nearly as cool) which I thought was just the awesomest thing ever.
As for books, this is the only one that I clearly remember my parents reading to me (and then me reading it to [name_f]Leah[/name_f] before [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] was born). Amazon.com
It’s cute and covers things for kids to expect both during the pregnancy (ie mommy’s tummy getting bigger, her having weird food cravings, and sore feet) and after.

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helped a little! I know I’m not a mom but I still hope it was helpful.

There’s a book called “The House Inside My Mummy” which goes through some of mummy’s symptoms and talks about growing a baby and then a baby comes out at the end. I think it’s a little boy protagonist but still might get the idea across! [name_u]Haven[/name_u]'t used it myself of course but know families who have.

Thanks for the recommendations everyone. I think I am looking for a book that’s more about how things will be when the baby gets here rather than the pregnancy per se, as that’s really the big thing I am concerned about. It doesn’t really affect her all that much until the birth. But some good ideas here!

From my own research I have noticed a lot of them emphasise all the things that the big sibling can do that the baby can’t do, which is good, but I am going to have to be careful that the book doesn’t say she can do things that she can’t. For instance I don’t expect that she will necessarily have started potty training and unless she starts climbing out, she won’t have moved to a big bed. She can do a lot of things a baby can’t do but she isn’t even 2 yet! It seems a lot of them are based around more of a 2.5-3-year-old level of maturity. I suppose it could act like an incentive and obviously I’m not entirely sure how much she’ll develop over the next 6 months but I don’t want to pressure her with things that she ‘should’ be able to do once she’s the big sister.

@jackal - I agree that most of the books are more geared towards older siblings. While [name_f]Isla[/name_f] will be potty trained she will still be in her crib, so I definitely see where you are coming from. I did like Waiting for [name_u]Baby[/name_u] because it was more simple and less about how big you are compared to baby and that baby can’t do what big sister can do.

I am also pregnant with number 2 and have a one year old (she’ll only be about 17 months when baby 2 is born - surprise!) So I feel a bit hopeless with trying to prepare her. I’m getting lots of books because she’s obsessed with them right now, but her comprehension is just not there so I have different worries from you.
I’ve been trying to stop calling [name_f]Holly[/name_f] my “baby” and refer to my belly as baby and go out of my way to point out other babies we see. Since your first is older, I think the same mindset of “here’s what baby will need” and how #1 can help #2 makes the elder child feel included instead of replaced during the transition.
I was a preschool teacher, au pair, and nanny for many years until I became pregnant with my first and being part of others familial transition periods has shown me that it all depends on the kid. The best tool you have is allowing inclusion, even if it’s difficult for you. For instance -have the elder child grab a bottle for baby or help you tuck baby in for nap… that sort of thing.
Sorry I can’t offer more help! At the very least, we have our solidarity in welcoming baby#2 and all that entails :wink:
I’ll let you know about any books that are worth getting after I can vet them.

It’s geared toward older kids (ages 7+), but when my first two were little and we were expecting #3 we used to read It’s So Amazing! A Book About Eggs, Sperm, Birth, and Families by [name_u]Robie[/name_u] [name_m]Harris[/name_m].

Lots of pictures, so I really do think it helped a little bit.

Got this one today, it’s adorable! It has little flaps that give a peek at the baby in the belly. Definitely recommend :slight_smile:
https://www.amazon.com/Hello-There-Sisters-Waiting-Growing/dp/1419703714

Got this one today, it’s adorable! It has little flaps that give a peek at the baby in the belly. Definitely recommend :slight_smile:
https://www.amazon.com/Hello-There-Sisters-Waiting-Growing/dp/1419703714