Preparing a sibling for a new, or 2 new arrivals!

[Danilou22]

Hello all,

I have a 2 year old son and I am currently pregnant with twins.

He does not understand when I tell him there are babies in mummy's tummy and I am really worried about how he will react when I actually have them! (He is a mummy's boy)

Does anyone know of any good books or strategies that could be use to prepare him as much as possible.

Thanks x

I have a book for my son called "my new baby" got it off amazon for about 3quid. There are lots of others tho, I've found a few at our library too so borrowed for free. My son will be almost 4 when this baby arrives tho so he understands that there is a baby in my belly. Also as your belly grows they do start to ask questions anyway which is when your explaining makes more sense in my experience.

Congratulations as well, twins, how lovely!

Thank you.

He doesn't have the language to ask questions yet. I am half way there so hopefully by the time they come he may have a better understanding.

I will have a look on Amazon and see what I can see.

Thanks

No advice as don't have older children but have a cute anecdote.

I was a childminder when I was pregnant with my twin girls (now ones years old) and one of the little boys (he was 2.3 at the time) if asked what was in my belly he would say..."two she babies"! It was very cute :)

I'm expecting #2 so don't have any advice as such. DD is 22 months at the moment.

DD knows there is a baby in my tummy and looks for the baby every so often under my top! I just keep talking about it and referring to friend's babies and saying we will have one.

DD has a doll that we call 'her baby' and I encourage her to be gentle with it. We have a book called 'there's a house inside my mummy' that we read.

I think I'm quite lucky in so far as a couple of close friends have just has babies and we see lots of them.

I've picked a few things I will struggle to help her with when the baby is here and I'm encouraging her to learn those things for herself.... Coming down the stairs without me carrying her, walking to the car nicely without needing me to grip her to stop her running down drive, walking as much as possible, standing on a step to wash her hands herself rather than me doing it for her etc.

How old will he be when the babies arrive dani?

It may be a case of waiting a few months and reintroducing the idea if there's time. Two is a year with such huge changes. DD (2.5) wouldn't have understood at all a few months ago but now seem to completely understand. Having nursery friends who have recently had brothers nd sisters has also helped immeasurably.

Topsy and Tim and the New baby is the best book we came across. I'm a big brother was also quite good.

DS was 2.4 when DD was born. We talked a lot about how we'd be having a baby come to stay with us. As your tummy grows he'll find it easier to imagine babies in there.

DS is quite verbal though, so perhaps it was easier for us to explain it to him.

Thank you everyone for your tips. He will be 2.5 when they arrive so hopefully will have a little more understanding.

I will look at the Topsy and Tim book and I am going to buy him a doll (much to his daddy's disgust and just keep mentioning it to him.