Toddler (2ys) and new baby coming....

[emilyanorak]

Hello, I was wondering if anybody had thoughts on or had ever bought a baby dolly for a toddler ahead of a new baby sibling arriving in the family? We thought it would be a good idea, so him how to hold it, bath and associate what is in my tummy with a 'baby'. Has anybody tired this, is there any draw backs?

We will be TTC soon and planning to get DS a doll for Christmas, so watching with interest.

We're there. Only get a doll if the toddler likes dolls anyway, otherwise you can show all the things you want with any favoured soft toy. We were bought a doll/toy cot/blankets. Turns out the real thing is much more interesting and the doll has been ignored since the baby turned up and wasn't very popular beforehand.
Would recommend a book 'waiting for baby' published by child's play as it's more about the real thing. We read it together endlessly for a month before the birth and when I went off to hosp last friday, DS totally got it, was happy to stay at home with granny, just like the child in the book etc etc.
The best advice I was given was to have a small gift from the baby ready to give to the toddler when they first see each other. It definitely softened the blow! It meant that DS didn't need to be interested in the baby for the whole visit, he could dip in and out as toddler concentration tends to anyway.
Good luck.

We didn't do this as DS isn't remotely interested in dolls. I did suggest it, DH laughed at me (rightly so!). What I did do was buy him some new toys, not from the baby as such, they just appeared. But they were things I could do with him whilst I was feeding the baby so a couple of books, jigsaw puzzles, simple lotto matching game.

We've done it and DS loves his 'baby' - he's become more interested in the baby in my tummy and strokes and kisses it several times a day, I don't know whether that's because we talk about it a lot or if he understands at all but I thought the same as you it might be a good idea to be able to do things such as put on a nappy, bath the baby, rock it to sleep etc. I also thought it was a good way to teach him to be gentle which he does seem to be getting. He's only 19 months so I don't know how much he 'gets' or if it will make a difference when the baby arrives but if you think it's worth a go I'd go for it!

We did this -it surprised me as I didn't think DS would be into playing with it as he is more into cars. He loved having it and talked about the baby (his doll) a lot. we talked about being gentle with it before DS2 arrived. When Ds2 came along he would get his baby and it gave him something to focus on. He hasn't been the least bit jealous and is full of love for his brother. I just bought the cheapest doll I could find as I wasn't sure this would work but it worked out well for us.