Welcoming a new baby

[ealj6815]

I'm due to have a baby soon and just wondering how I can prepare my other two children. I have a 4 year old boy and 3 year old girl (who I'm assuming will get extremely jealous). I'm just wondering if there is any ways I can get them ready and any advice you can give. Also any of you personal experiences will be useful.

Congratulations on your PG

Two things that seemed to ease things for us was to get lots of books from our library on new babies. They usually have a good selection. Also, we put a wrapped present in the cot for the older ones for when they came to see baby.

Asking visitors to great the older children first and asking them to introduce the new baby helps too

I’m looking forward a good book for my DS 5yrs old and DD 3yrs old, to explain in clear practical way, how babies are conceive and born, number three due in alAigust and we have just told the children and there are LOTS of questions!!

Can anyone recommend one please! Much appreciated x

When I was expecting my second, we told our son (then 3 years old) that the new baby would bring him a present. He chose something for her and he asked for something specific for himself. He was thrilled to give her his present, but when he got his (all nicely wrapped up with ribbons) his face lit up like a bright thing that has been polished to within an inch of its life and dipped in liquid sunshine. We thought this was a bit of an overreaction to what was quite an inexpensive gift. Turned out that he had imagined that the gift would come out from the same place as the new baby and he was expecting it to need a good wash.

DD was just 4 then just 5 when DC2 and 3 were born.
We didn't have any issues as she thinks babies are cute and would happily sit stroking them for hours (until DC2 started being able to grab toys haha!).

From when they first came home we do a lot of 'talking for the baby' which I think has helped.
We'll use a squeaky voice as the babies voice and say what a baby might be thinking, thank her for being nice and say shes a good big sister, or explain things from their point of view and DD will have conversations 'with them' that she initiates.

I think its a nice way to get them to understand things from the babies point of view and make it a bit less boring when they're a newborn and not doing much!