How did your 2 year old cope going from only child to having a sibling?

[JasonMomoasgirlfriend]

I'm a bit worried about how my son is going to find the change of going from only child to role of big brother.
He gets tonnes of attention from me and DH and he is quite clingy with us (but does attend nursery 4 days and 1 day with his grandparents) and we take him to parks etc obviously.

Just looking for advice as to how we can make the transition easier, help him come to terms with the fact there's going to be a baby around that won't be going away etc
He was 2 in August.

Perfectly but wasn’t bothered! It’s only now baby is a couple of months old that they’re interested. Personally I found that easier than friends who had siblings obsessed with the baby and wouldn’t leave them alone but obviously not everyone’s cup of tea!

We had no issues

He is quote interested in babies. If he sees them on TV or he likes to watch babies laughing on tik tok or sees a baby at the park he points and says "baby".. but I just think how is he going to understand I'm not going to be able to pick him up as much/go where he wants me to go when he wants etc.

Don’t worryOP, my DS was 21 mths when DS2 arrived, never had any issues, just like DS2 had always been there. They are now 20 &18 complete opposites in personality, but best friends as well as brothers. Good luck it will be ok.

I had a double pram, that helped a lot.

She turned around and said "I'll never be lonely again"

Absolutely loved her sister

Oh good these replies are making my mind ease up.

@bjjgirl aw that's sooo sweet 🥰

When is baby due?

My eldest was two when I had my youngest. I kind of don't really remember it much now. They are 6 and 8 and don't remember anything other than there being two of them.

We kept DS1 in full time childcare for the first month after DS2 was born. It gave us time to physically adjust, catch up on sleep etc. He got to do fun things and it meant his routine stayed the same for a while. DH took a month off after I had DS2 which also helped.

We got DS1 a present from DS2 when he was born. We moved him away from as much babyish stuff as we physically could before the baby arrived. So when DS2 arrived, he felt like a 'big boy' and not a 'little baby'. DH and I split our time as much as physically possible, so one child had one parent's 100 undivided attention. I bottle fed which obviously made this easier. For feeds, I would sit on the sofa and put some cartoons on for DS1 so he could sit and have a cuddle up to me while I fed his brother.

In some ways, it was better for DS1 because he was home with me all of time while I was on mat leave. I also went part time working evenings after DS2 was born, so DS1 was home more with me after then. So it was really positive for him.

@JasonMomoasgirlfriend

Oh good these replies are making my mind ease up.

@bjjgirl aw that's sooo sweet 🥰

Now they are both becoming teenagers it's either heaven or hell!

@Mandalordeloris due date 29th Nov so do have time to start with the "big boy" thing...thank you for that tip and also the idea of a gift from baby to DS...that is actually a really sweet thought.
We will have DS at his nursery and my mum has said they could keep him overnight on the day they usually have him which I thought could be good fun for him as he'd get 100% attention from gran and grandad.
I BF ds although didn't enjoy it so I think we will try mixed feeding or something so that DH can help with baby and I can spend some time 1-1 with DS.

There was 18 months between mine. I got DS a doll and bottle a few weeks before DC2 arrived, he used to sit beside me feeding his doll while I fed the baby. That definitely helped. And we also did a gift from the baby to DS.

There was, of course, a period of adjustment for everyone, but it went well overall. They’re 1 and 2 now and adore each other.

She was two when her sister was born and can’t remember a thing pre-sister. She loved her from the off and they are still incredibly close. I remember worrying like you but watching the relationship they have gives me so much joy

Unbothered. Interested but no dramas.
I also used the playpen for the baby so my toddler could charge around without risk of bumping her.

I just carried dc2 in a wrap sling and carried on with DC1's routine. It wasn't really much different for her to my last month of pregnancy.

I agree with the present from the baby idea, we did that too.

Also really important IMO is that DH and dc1 fetch you and the baby from the hospital together if possible - at any rate don't have dc1 brought home from staying with grandparents to walk in on you and DH in an adoring tableau gazing at the baby in the living room - that's the perfect way to make the toddler feel replaced/ pushed out!

There's a House Inside My Mummy is a nice book for a young toddler who's mum is close to her due date. Though my dc1 did ask if she could take the baby out of my tummy to play with...

Mine wasn’t bothered! He accepted it straight away. He’d just turned two.

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme ok I will keep that in mind because it will be my parents looking after ds whilst I'm in labour and I'd have thought they'd have brought him home when we got home and settled. So I will discuss with DH about that angle and it makes sense to me.

Thanks everyone, in glad it's gone well and I am really looking forward to seeing them have a living relationship :)

*loving

2 1/2 years between my two and it was an adjustment. DS1 wasn’t all that interested in the baby but he regressed quite a bit in the first 3 weeks. Back to bottles and quite clingy but I read a study (damned if I can remember where!) that likened a new sibling as much of an adjustment as if your spouse had bought another person into the marriage.
The study said to allow them to regress and act like very little has changed and recommended not to keep telling them that they were a big sister/brother as much, as often they don’t want to be, they still want to be the baby.
As soon as we allowed him to regress and come out of it in his own time, and stopped referring to him as “big”, he took it in his stride.
Around the time DS2 hit 18 months and we went on vacation to UK for 3 weeks, they became fast friends.
10 & 7 now and adore each other (as much as brothers can!)

2.5 between mine and my eldest took it fairly badly. She was very aware i didn’t have the time I did for her previously which made her whiny and hard work. I realise it wasn’t her fault though.
It seems the bigger the gap the harder it is.