Toddlers and arrival of new baby

[ChaCha]

I'm not really worried just curious as to whether anyone else has experienced this really.

DS1 is 2.7yrs and DS2 is 18months - neither has shown any interest in the fact that baby sibling is arriving next week. I obviously don't expect anything from DS2, he pats my bump and says 'baby' as his brother did at a slightly younger age but DS1 doesn't say anything or show any interest.
Just the once he pulled my t-shirt down when i was rubbing my bump and said 'the baby is getting cold mummy' and that was it - I try telling him what is going to happen and talk about it in positive and happy light but he is more interested in dear Thomas and his trains.

Hope they will not be in too much shock next week. I tried!

[ChaCha]

Gateau - Thank you for your reply but that was the point of my post...I wasn't sure what to be expecting with only a week to go.

Thanks everyone for the v.helpful replies. Nothing to worry about and will definitely have DH hold new baby and introduce them in that manner.

Cheers

[Humpdebump]

My DS was 26 months when DS2 was born. He had no interest at all, apart from pointing to my tummy and saying 'baby', but he also did the same to his own tummy! However, he is so interested in him now and it still surprises me how much he interacts with his new little brother. This might be a bit OTT but its some advice that stuck in my mind when I was pregnant with DS2- I was at work when a batty old lady came in and we chatted about my pregnancy (her call, not mine I might add!). She asked about DS1 and how he will cope with jealousy (he was very jealous of me with anyone elses baby/toddler). She said that when DS2 is born, upon returning home from the hospital I should not walk in the room holding the newborn for the first time DS1 meets him. She reckoned it can have a psychological effect on DS1 and that the best way to do it, is: if possible, Dad comes in holding newborn baby and you greet and hug your DS1 and take him with you and introduce him to his new sibling. My response was polite but I was thinking 'yeah, right, whatever', but it sprung back into my mind and thats exactley what I did and have had no jealous behaviour!

[Alishanty]

My ds is 23 mths and we are expecting no. 2 in just under a month. He is totally uninterested and doesn't want to talk about it atall. I don't think he really understands what's going on. He may look at the pram or a rattle and say it's 'for the baby' but I don't think he realises that I'M having a baby lol! We'll see how he reacts when baby arrives!

[Fennel]

He's probably used to babies, having a baby brother already. It'll be less exciting for him than for a child without a sibling already.

My dd1 wasn't too impressed while waiting for dd3 to be born. She already had a little sister and a baby cousin sister. She wanted a dog. And dd2 wanted a brother.

they both loved dd3 when she was born but neither was particularly looking forward to her.

[LackaDAISYcal]

they will only understand once the baby has arrived. I think it's too abstract a concept for them at that age until the baby has arrived. My DS was five when DD came along and he was just at the age to realise that bump = baby, but lost interest in the bump still as it was taking too long to cook in his little world of immediacy.

and he's a boy; if he was a girl he might show more interest

[Gateau]

How much interest do you really expect a 2.7 month old boy to show???! Of course he's more interested in his trains!!!

[Flum]

They will probably behave appallingly for a couple of months as they fight to get your attention back. Then they will settle into it as if it has always been so!