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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Can anyone recommend a book to prepare a toddler for the arrival of a new baby?

37 replies

pastalady · 17/08/2007 11:51

Due in about five weeks now and I'm feeling like my little boy of 28 months is totally unprepared. Can anyone recommend a book that could prepare him for us disapearing one night and returning home with a baby. Has anyone got any other tips that could help him cope better?

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Practicalpet · 17/08/2007 11:52

I used My New Baby by Annie Kublar it is a picture book with no words so you can tell your own story. My daughter still loves hearing us tell her the story.

ProfYaffle · 17/08/2007 11:55

We bought loads of books but the best was this one we used the big sister version for dd1, she still likes it now dd2 is 6mo.

Bainmarie · 17/08/2007 21:02

I used Zaza's baby brother by Lucy Cousins.

Elk · 17/08/2007 21:31

My daughter at 2 and half loved the Usborne book one - The New Baby (hated it myself.)We still have to borrow it from the library now and dd2 is 21 months and I am definately NOT pregnant.

Your local library should have quite a few different ones for you to choose to save buying them (me - a cheapskate, never!!!!)

chipkid · 17/08/2007 21:32

"there's a house inside my mummy" don't know who it is by. Used this with my ds

GreebosWhiskers · 17/08/2007 21:35

I've got 'The New Baby' by Usborne books from the first experiences range. It was great for dd who was 20mo when ds arrived. It's just the little mini version & you can have it if you want to email me your address to [email protected]

chonky · 17/08/2007 21:36

I think India Knight (dare I mention her name following the ST article on b/f ) has written one....called...wait for it...The New Baby...

GreebosWhiskers · 17/08/2007 21:36

ps I used to be an Usborne organiser & wound up with 2 copies for some obscure reason

oregonianabroad · 17/08/2007 21:37

Used all of these, my favourites were the picture books by Annie Kublar and there's a house inside my mummy. Ds1 still likes to read them now and DS2 is almost 5 months.
My other top tips:
Point out lots of babies when you're out
buy a cheapo baby doll and practice (feeding, dressing, caring, cuddling, etc)
talk about it a lot

MyMILisDoloresUmbridge · 17/08/2007 21:46

I got the Usborne one when expecting ds2 but actually think that talking to him about it was better. I constantly talked about the baby in my tummy, showed ds1 pictures of women breastfeeding etc. He was very well prepared but his nose was still put out of joint a bit by the amount of time I had to spend with ds2.

HayleyK · 17/08/2007 23:18

my sister got her toddler lots of presents from the new baby, which seemed to soften the blow!

manyhands · 18/08/2007 08:18

Zaza's baby brother by Lucy Cousins really really worked for us

georgiebs · 18/08/2007 08:46

topsy and tim one... dated but lovely x

tikibinx · 18/08/2007 21:30

When i was pregnant with my second i got all our baby stuff out 6 weeks before my due date so the novelty wore off for ds who was 22 months when dd was born. It meant he was bored of it all by the time dd arrived so he never had to be told to leave stuff alone/get out of the cot etc!!! I also got him a baby doll so he could copy mummy, but as soon as i gave it to him he swung it but the legs and banged its head on the wall so i took it away!!!!

We also got a pressie from his new sister for him which he loved - the other thing we did was to ask all family member to get ds a small pressie for the first time they came to meet the baby (matchbox car, chocolate buttons - something small!) which meant that he never got jealous of her recieving so much attention.

DS was also with me during much of my labour as dh was at work and i asked my mum not to collect him for the night until the last minute. It really seemed to help him understand what was happening and HE kept patting me on the back during contractions!Whe he came to meet his new sister the next morning he just peered into the moses basket and smiled - it was like he expected her to be there so something worked! Good luck! x

Original poster

pastalady · 19/08/2007 14:25

Thanks for all your great suggestions. We settled for 'I'm a big brother', 'there's a house inside mummy's tummy' and 'the new baby'. Bought from Amazon.

Thanks also for your tips. Will definatley use the present idea tikibinx. Gooing to Toys R Us so will maybe buy a cheap doll to teach him with if I see one oregonianabroad . Can see him banging it around too though!

OP posts:

PippiLangstrump · 21/08/2007 18:02

I have been following this thread and I have settled for the same books as well. waiting to get them from amazon too.

I thought about the doll thing as well as DD is desperate to have one - l'll give her one when baby comes so hopefully she'll enjoy copying me.

I love the idea that baby brings a present for big sister/brother, will def copy that!
re labour - wasn't he worried though? my dd is always worried when I show i am in some kind of pain or distress.

stealthsquiggle · 21/08/2007 18:06

Pastalady - present from the baby is definitely a good idea - depending how mature your DS is he might like this - my DS loved his, but he was almost 4 when DD was born.

OrmIrian · 21/08/2007 18:08

"The day the teddy bears came". Walker Books. Can't remember the author but very lovely story and pictures.

muppetgirl · 21/08/2007 18:11

Have to say I've just ordered the I'm a big brother book from this thread so thanks for that. Ds is 3.5 and I'm 29 weeks prgt atm.

Dh bought 'There's a house in my mummy's tummmy' or something like that. Not good at all as now ds thinks everytime he touches my tummy he's hurting the baby's house (?)

I prefer books that tell the truth in a watered down way rather than use confusing analagy's that only adults get.

Kathyis6incheshigh · 21/08/2007 18:16

My dd loves Topsy and Tim and the New Baby.

FunkyGlassSlipper · 21/08/2007 18:18

there's a house inside my mummy
fantastic book.

FunkyGlassSlipper · 21/08/2007 18:19

just saw muppetgirls' post. all i can say is that my DD loved the book. It was easy for her to understand and she talked about it often.

muppetgirl · 21/08/2007 18:59

Yes I didn't mean to sound harsh, loads of books are a good thing as different children mature at different rates irrelevant to how old they are. I think my ds was too old for this book as he took it literally... great fun listening to my dh trying to backpeddle though!

amidaiwish · 21/08/2007 19:56

these are lovely - just pictures so you can use your own words to make the story up. Two books in the set "waiting for baby" and "my new baby"
here

FunkyGlassSlipper · 21/08/2007 20:07

muppet - wasnt being funny, honest. my dd was 2.9 at the time. about the right age.

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