How and when did you tell toddler about new baby?

[cowbiscuits]

Pretty sure this will have been asked a million times.....

DS will be 2 years 7 months when DC#2 is born. He's 25 months now. At the moment I don't think he can understand things happening that far into the future but I'm wondering what is a good way to start to prepare him.

I thought when I start to look very obviously pregnant I'll be able to tell him there is a baby in mummy's tummy.

I'd like to introduce him to the idea of what baby brothers or sisters mean but don't know how.

Can anyone recommend any books suitable for a two year old? He seems to understand a lot of things and has very good language.

[imme]

We read 'there's a house inside my mummy' to DS when I was pregnant. It's a really sweet book and he still likes to read it every so often.

[PeteHornberger]

Another vote for "there's a house inside my mummy" - lovely book and my DD loves it.

We told DD after the 12 week scan and she was pretty confused by it, but she quickly wrapped her head around it. Coming to the 20 week scan helped I think, but I know not everyone likes to take kids to scans. Books helped, as did showing her pics of when she was small and explaining that her sibling will be that small etc. We've tried to include her in a lot of the prep for him, so she chose some babygrows for him today. Nothing huge, but she likes to help and seems to be enjoying her role as big sister so far.

We're still waiting for DC2 to arrive so the proof will be in the pudding as to how well this works though, so feel free to ignore!

[ameliarose2012]

Do you know anyone else who is pregnant? My friend had a baby a few months ago, so I used that opportunity to teach DD where babies come from! Now I'm 9 weeks pg I'm really glad I did.

I think we're going to tell her when we start to feel movement and when I start to expand. Up until then there's not a lot for her to focus on - as far as she can see nothing has changed!

Off to google that book...

[cowbiscuits]

Thanks.

Looking forward to getting lovely childrens books!

I should talk to my DSil about how she dealt with it with my niece, because the gap between her kids is exactly the same.

I know loads of people who are pregnant right now but none of my close friends/family.

[HollyBen]

Slighty different situation but is 3.7 and will be 4 when DC2 arrives. I am currently 21 weeks and we haven't yet told DD about the baby. I think she will understand but it seems a very long way off given her sense of time.

[HollyBen]

that should read DD is 3.7

[kalidasa]

DS is 22 months and I'm expecting a baby after Christmas, so he'll be about 25 months then. We've got the 'house inside my mummy' book and also an Usborne lift-the-flap one which he likes. I have suddenly got a lot bigger in the last couple of weeks and I thought he'd be interested in that but he doesn't really seem to have noticed! We do talk about the baby and he knows the baby is in Mummy's tummy, but we are also making a point of taking him to see small babies of friends/relatives, looking at his own baby pictures, and also we have asked our nanny to talk about brothers/sisters with him especially whenever she has playdates with other nannies who are looking after two siblings. We thought he was too small to be 'told' so we just started talking about it to/in front of him. To start with he really pointedly ignored us when we did, but now he seems to feel a bit more positive about the whole thing!

[fishfingerSarnies]

I told my dd from word go she was not quite 2, I had really bad sickness though so thought saying that it was caused by the baby growing in my tummy was less scary for her than 4 months of random vomiting and fainting.
Two of her friends have just had baby brothers so she's seen it and understands.
"Zaza's Baby Brother" is her current favourite book, it's quite good because it talks about how busy mum and dad are so prepares her for that side of things too.
She is very, very excited keeps asking when can she have the baby.

[kalidasa]

Forgot to say that I've had a dreadful pregnancy - was in hospital all summer, and am still v. disabled and housebound (and will be until the end). DS hasn't really connected this with the baby at all though I don't think, I'm sure by now he's forgotten that I was ever not ill/disabled! Every time he gets in he looks for me in the bedroom first! That's good though because I was worried he might make the connect and resent the baby but he's really too small.

[CindyLou]

When I was over the sickness etc, and tummy bigger, so about 5 months, told DS and when we saw babies reminded him he was going to be a big brother.
We bought two dolls, one a boy doll, one a girl, (yes you can buy them with the detail) so that when the baby was born he got the doll, and changed its nappy etc/babygro when I changes the real baby. He was fantastic, never saw any sign of jealousy, but our intention as that if he did, we would see him take it out on the doll, not his baby brother
After a few weeks he lost interest in the doll.