This post likely contains affiliate links which may earn me commissions should you click through them and take certain actions As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I’m no expert on this, but I’ve finally gotten my daughter to agree to hug and kiss the new baby. When I first found out I was pregnant, I asked her if she would hug, kiss, and help out with her new baby sibling. “No” she’d respond sternly. As long as I can remember, she’s never liked babies. In fact, she’s always wanted to divert our attention from them and remind us SHE was the baby. Only in the last year has she started to become more comfortable around babies as she’s had a new baby cousin and lots of new babies in our playgroup.
When I realized she needed a little help understanding what being a sibling was like, I knew I wasn’t going to be offering much in the way of positive experiences to help her want to be a good big sister. In my own upbringing, my family didn’t do much in the way of making a new baby a positive thing for me. I’ll spare you the details of all the times I had to watch my brother because my mom wanted to enjoy something, as I felt held back from enjoying some of those childhood moments. I won’t say I was an angel about it either …. I mean, I did intentionally wake him up so I could go swimming with my cousins.
I don’t want the same experience(s) for my daughter. I want her to want to be helpful and enjoy having a new baby in the house. I want it to be fun, but I also want her to know that she is just as important to us as she was when she was the only child in the house. And, I needed to remember that my choice to have another baby didn’t mean that I let her handle some of the dirty work when I don’t want to get left out of something. That meant, in order to prepare her for being a sibling, I needed to prepare myself for trying to offer her a more positive experience as a big sister and first child. So, I began borrowing books from the library so that we both could read up on bringing a new baby into our home, and what it means for all of us.
I found the following books, that I thought you might also like to purchase, or borrow from your local library. I have included affiliate links to show you the books, so if you make a purchase after clicking on them, I will earn a small commission. This is not a comprehensive list and not in any particular order.
A few books to help your child prepare for a new baby sibling
More Books for Big Sisters | More Books for Big Brothers
Do you have any books you recommend for families to read with their children to help them prepare for a new baby sibling? Please share!