how to tell my 3 year old I'm having another baby?

[louisen91]

Im new at this. Cant seem to get my 3 year old to understand about pregnancy. I also have a 4 year old

How pregnant are you? I'd leave it until you have a visible bump and perhaps when the movements have started to be felt from the outside, read lots of books with her, if you watch children's TV keep an eye out for episodes which cover pregnancy as lots do.

Reason being 9 months (or even 6 months) is forever to a 3 year old and they won't really understand.

this is good. I read it to my two year old about 3 months before dc2 was born.

We didn't tell our 3 year old until after the 5 month scan (to make sure everything seemed to be going okay and to minimise the 'when is the baby coming' questions that we got anyway :-)

DH read 'there's a house inside my mummy' to him, and at the end of it DS1 asked him, is there a baby inside mummy? To which he said yes - so we didn't really have to do much at all. He knows a few women who have been pregnant and had babies so he was satisfied with that without asking any pressing questions (like how it got in there! :-D

I read "there's a house inside my mummy" to be then just 3 year old when I was 7/8 months pregnant and got things ready for the baby.

During tea time the day I came home from hospital she asked who the baby's mummy was and gave a very puzzled look when I said it was me...

Completely went over her head and tbh I think it was the easiest way to make it low key.

My sister told her three and four year old the week before. She said she was quite insulted that they hadn't noticed she was twice the size.

My daughter was quite young when we brought baby 2 home, only 20 months. To prepare her - I read her books (im a big sister, house in mummys tummy), found cartoons or kiddie show about baby (goofy baby, barneys baby brother etc) and let her watch them a few times to get an idea of babies, siblings etc. I also told her there was a baby in my tummy and explained things as if she would understand (not sure if she did, but she def knew what a baby was). I also got her a baby doll.

When we brought baby home, we put him in the living room sleeping in his carseat. I had my mom bring my daughter upstairs so she would not see me or baby at first. This way I got to go upstairs and say hi to her, giving her cuddles etc bc she did not see my 3 days (had to stay in hospital longer bc low birth baby weight). She was so happy to see me and once she had enough cuddles and mummy time, we went down stairs. She noticed her brother right away and ran up to him and said baby with the biggest smile. She kept pointing and saying baby...she did not even notice her brand new scooter behind the baby! lol. We got her the scooter as a gift from the baby. We knew she would love the scooter bc she always looked at other kids that had a scooter and wanted to try it out etc. Anyways, it has been a very good and smooth transition. she is happy to be a big sister, helps out by bringing blankets, bottle etc for baby. She even emulates what I do to her own baby doll. Now they are taking baths together..so CUTE!