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Original poster

Getting DS ready for a sibling...

17 replies

SarahL2 · 22/05/2009 15:35

OK, I'm only 9 weeks pregnant so far so this may be jumping the gun a little but I feel like we need to make so many changes before this baby arrives that we had better get started..

DS is 2.2. He will be 2.9 when baby arrives.

Currently, DS has the largest bedroom in the house while DH and I have the slightly smaller room to sleep in and the largish box room as a dressing room

To make room for the baby, DS needs to swap rooms with us so that we can fit a wardrobe in our room and so clear out the box room to put the baby in.

We could also do with moving DS into a bed so that new baby can have the cotbed. DS currently still has the sides on the cotbed and I would like to remove the sides to get him used to a bed rather than a cot before we replace it with a real bed.

I really don't want DS to feel pushed out or replaced so how do I do this slowly?

I'd also like to get him new curtains/bedding/rugs etc for his new room. His old stuff is very baby-ish and I think he'd appreciate something a bit more boy-ish now.

So - do I take the sides off his cot in the nursery? Then buy him a new bed for his new room and do that all at once?

Or move his cot to a newly decorated room, then take the sides off it, then swap it for a bed?

How do I do this without upsetting DS? He is a fantastic sleeper at the moment and I really don't want to mess that up...

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bigchris · 22/05/2009 15:37

if you can afford it I'd go to town on his new room with a new bed straightaway
congrats

Original poster

SarahL2 · 22/05/2009 15:52

And go straight from cot in old room to bed in new room?

He loves our bed at the moment. Climbs on and gets himself all tucked in under the blankets and says "sleep mummy".

Then wriggles and fidgets and starts playing!

He's still in a sleeping bag at the moment too. We did swap to sheets but he started climbing the sides of his cot. Sleeping bag stops him being able to get his leg up and over the sides.

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LissyGlitter · 22/05/2009 16:05

I will be watching this thread for tips too, I have a dd of a similar age and a new baby on the way and have no idea how to stop complete armageddon!

My plan up to now is to:
Invite other kids round/take her to playgroup as much as possible to get her used to other kids
Refer to the new baby as "her" or "our" baby
Show her plenty of pictures of babies in magazines and talk about the things they need, eg booby milk, nappy changes, etc

Any more tips?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General parenting

Original poster

SarahL2 · 22/05/2009 16:28

I suppose I'm quite lucky. DS is out with other children most days of the week and one of our friends will be having a new baby 3 months before I do - that should give him an idea!

It's the bedroom that I think is going to cause issues!

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luvoneson · 22/05/2009 17:14

bigchris is absolutely right. I think don't make an issue when there is not one there. Just tell ds that as he is a big boy now you are going to change his room, end of. If he starts showing off just ignore it. These things are just not worth worrying about. good luck.

alittleteapot · 22/05/2009 17:30

watching too as dd will be 2.4 when new lo arrives. so far she's excited. we are calling it "our" and "her" baby too, and i have bought her a sling for her dollies. going to try and get dd into a mornings playgroup so that she has her own thing going on and i can get a bit of time. we've just moved her into her own room and bed and it's gone really well so recommend you crack on with it - you have plenty of time fr him to get used to it. She loves it. look forward to other tips.

YeahBut · 22/05/2009 17:35

Make the changes well in advance of the baby arriving so there is no correlation in his mind between the two events.
As far as preparing him for a sibling, I'm afraid that only makes us parents feel better. It's hard to explain in any really meaningful way to a toddler and it only really hits once the baby arrives and is obviously staying (a month or so after arrival in my experience.)

lynniep · 22/05/2009 17:35

I'm watching the thread too SL2! DS is also 2.2 and will be 2.8 when baby arrives. I need to move him from the 'nursery' to his own room, which is smaller, but will fit a toddler bed and some other things - but not sure whether to start decorating or when to move him. The baby will be with us for at least 3 months, probably 6, so do I move him before its born, and leave the nursery empty, or let him stay in there for longer. Hmmm...

Original poster

SarahL2 · 22/05/2009 18:08

I don't think DS will "show off" if I move his room! I don't forsee there being any problems other than he might feel a little pushed aside by the new arrival.

I think bigchris's suggestion of spoiling him a little and making the new room seem like a big treat is a good idea as well as yeahbut's suggestion that we do it asap so he's well settled before the baby arrives...

What I'm not sure on is the bed move. Do I put a bed in his new room and have the first night out of a cot in there - something one friend did with no problems and another did with disasterous results! - or do I take the sides off first then move him when he's gotten used to not being in a cot?

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Original poster

SarahL2 · 22/05/2009 18:09

lynniep - I would say move him before the baby come so he's settled in his new room and doesn't feel pushed out by the baby

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Sassyfrassy · 23/05/2009 07:50

I'd just put him in the new bed when he moves in. No doubt he'll have a couple of evenings exploring the new freedom of being able to get out of bed but if you keep putting him back to bed he'll soon get the idea.

When dd1 was moved into a big bed she was about 2 and a half, and we would find her asleep in the oddest places in her room where she'd been playing. Once even slumped over her rocking horse. Now she's 4 and she might have a play after bedtime sometimes, but then just goes back into bed and falls asleep.

alittleteapot · 23/05/2009 11:09

Yes i'd just put him in bed when he moves in. if it is problematic at least you know you've got plenty of time to sort it. i agree with others take time to make the room really nice. We also used to go and spend time on her bed in the day, reading stories etc, before she actually moved in there at night, so she knew it as a nice place to be.

Original poster

SarahL2 · 23/05/2009 12:36

The problem is, we're swapping rooms with him so I won't be able to set the room up and let him play in it for a while because we need to be sleeping in there...

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alittleteapot · 23/05/2009 22:20

Is there somewhere else you can erect the bed temporarily? Living room? Otherwise you'll just have to do it and see - but I still think sooner rather than later so there's time to sort out problems before baby comes. Can you start talking about it with him, begin to get him excited about new room?

acebaby · 23/05/2009 22:30

DS1 loves his little Ikea toddler bed. We also moved him into it in preparation for DS2. He was 2.9 when DS2 arrived and we moved him into the bed when he was about 2.6. He was thrilled to have a big boy bed and we have had no trouble.

One thing I wish I'd done is to set up an area that would be safe for a 2 year old, and then get DS1 used to being unsupervised there for 5-10 minutes at a time. The first months with DS2 were very difficult because DS1 couldn't be left alone when I needed to settle DS2 or change his nappy.

trixymalixy · 23/05/2009 22:42

I'm due on the 2nd of August. DS will be 2.5.

We need to move him into a bigger room to leave the nursery free for the new baby.

He's still in the cot with grobags as well, so will be watching this thread with interest!!

Original poster

SarahL2 · 24/05/2009 09:06

I might be able to cram a single bed in his current room for a little while....

Otherwise I might make his cotbed into a bed in his current room, then move the cotbed into his new room and swap it for a single bed once he's settled in the new room...

New room is currently our room so he's happy in it at least.

Ditched the grobag last night due to the heat and will try now to keep it off. He wriggles a lot though and I'm forever finding him wedged up against the bars. DH say's he'll soon learn when we take the sides off but that seems a bit mean!

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