How To Prepare 5 & 3 Yr Old For New Baby

Please help. I am currently in my 9th month & so far my 3 year old is not taking it well, every time I tell her mommy's gonna have a new baby she says "No, I'm the baby!" and 5 year old DD just smiles & walks away. I keep asking her if she has questions & she says "nope"...

Any tips, ideas, books, ANYTHING that can make the transition easier for them?!

Thanks!

so am I the only woman with this struggle? Sad

If you do secular books, the Bernstein Bears and Baby Makes Five (not their original one) my kids loved last time. They were almost 4 & 2.5.

Ds was not too impressed when people started asking me on the street when the baby was coming (and asking HIM, hello, he's FOUR), until I started making a big deal about him being a big brother, and told him I will throw him a big brother party when iy'h the baby arrives.
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Lucky Mom to 5
Nechama & Rena 21 Sh'vat, 5764; Rivka 5 Tamuz 5765; Avraham Tzvi 11 Adar I, 5768; CHD "1 in 100" miracle baby Eliezer Yosef, 13 Av 5772 (TAPVR, now repaired B"H)

I think those are great ages! Even if your 3 year old is complaining now, it might change and probably will change after the baby. Make a big deal about being a big sister/brother. And steer clear of books that give older siblings bad ideas. I once took out a book on this topic, and the big sib was saying things like "I hate the baby" and in the end loved the baby. I didn't end up reading it to my kids. why give them bad ideas when half the time they think of those things on their own?!

I find that buying a really exciting toy and giving it "from the baby" helps.
It is not easy for them to adjust, but I find that only holding the baby when necessary and giving them tons of attention when the baby is sleeping/ happy in a car seat/swing helps a lot!
Hatzlocha

I read the "gift from the baby" advice on Imamother. My dd just laughed at me and said it was obviously not true.
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Gold Member Joined: Dec 10 2009 Posts: 1458

I think the advice about throwing a "big brother/big sister" party is a fabulous idea... and you could say when the new baby comes you will be having a really fun ______ party. (fill in the blank with the party theme, pizza, swimming, bbq) then invite one family over that has a friend each of their ages and the child is ecstatic. I plan to do this as well.