Baby Prep – How I’m Preparing My Daughter for Her New Baby Sister

In just nine weeks my husband and I will be bringing home our new baby girl. This will be our second daughter and my oldest daughter’s first sibling. While I spend the next 9 weeks preparing the house, my car and myself for this baby’s arrival my husband and I have made a conscious effort to also prepare my daughter, Isla, for her new little sister. We’re not taking any sibling classes or reading a specific book on sibling preparation but we have spent a significant amount of time talking about the baby, showing Isla her ultrasound pictures and talking about how great of a big sister she will be. On my journey to preparing Isla for her sister I’ve come up with a few ways to make her feel involved, important and still my sweet Baby Isla Grace even after the new baby gets here:

Early on:

Let them hear the heartbeat – Isla was at my anatomy scan when we found out we were having a girl, but prior to her actually getting to see her new sister she heard her heartbeat during one of my very first visits. The sound of the heartbeat actually frightened Isla but I quickly explained that her baby brother or sister was growing inside mommy’s tummy and she eventually seemed to be ok with it. While I’m not sure how much she grasped this concept it was the first step in letting her know a new baby was on its way.

Let them guess the gender – Since we decided to tell Isla about our newest arrival we would constantly ask her if she thought it was a boy or a girl. 90% of the time she said boy. Luckily she wasn’t upset when we found out it was a girl, but this can cause some major tears so you might want to use this tip wisely!

Halfway through:

Involve your child in planning for the new baby – Every time you go shopping for clothes or items for the new baby make sure your other child/ children are with you. Have them pick out outfits and gear they think the baby would like. When you do pick up an item you want for baby ask for their opinion before purchasing. I recently started transferring Isla’s old baby clothes to the baby’s closet and Isla helped me put some of those clothes on hangers. We talked about how she was being so helpful in letting her sister wear her clothes and that seemed to ease the issues she had over not wanting to give up those items.

Buy a big sister/big brother book – This is probably one of the easiest things you can do to prepare your child for new baby. I only recently bought Isla a big sister book and while I don’t think she’s fully aware of what’s going to come in 9 weeks, she was excited to see the baby and all of the baby toys in the pictures. I imagine the more we read it the more it will sink in.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat – Just like any other transition your child goes through constantly talking about the transition will help them understand an adjust once baby is here. When something is sprung on a child it never goes down well so keep the lines of communication open about the new baby and they might not be so surprised when baby comes home and they realize it’s never leaving!

Be honest – Having a little sister or little brother won’t be all roses and sunshine for your child (or for you for that matter) so make sure they are aware of the constant crying, pooping and feeding that comes with an infant. Also, make sure they are aware that the baby will take up a lot of your time and attention but reassure them that doesn’t make you love them any less.

Once baby is here…

Give them gifts – A friend recently told me she planned on giving her daughter gifts from the baby once they arrived home from the hospital. This is a great way of making sure your oldest doesn’t feel left out from all of the attention on the baby.

Let them help – If your child is old enough let them help you take care of the baby. Ask them to go grab a diaper, get the pacifier, and even hold the baby while you assist them. The more they are involved in the transition the more excited they will be to have a sibling.

Spend some time with dad/other family members – Once the baby is here make sure whatever family you have in town spends some quality time with your oldest. Don’t let everybody fuss over the baby and ignore your other child/children. This is also a great time for your child to enjoy dad dates while you stay home with the baby.

Are you expecting soon? What are some of the ways you’re preparing your child/children for the newest arrival?