How to Prepare Your Child for a New Sibling

Being pregnant the second time around seemed utterly unremarkable to me. With a been-there-done-that mentality, I knew what to expect for the most part -- except for one wild card: my first son, Ben. Although my husband and I were excited to expand our family and give Ben a sidekick, we weren't so certain that he would be equally as enthused. And so, instead of spending hours poring over photos comparing the baby in my belly to the size of a kidney bean or a cantaloupe, I spent my time pondering how to tell our 20-month-old, Ben, that we loved him so much, we wanted to give him a bawling baby brother who would steal his parents' attention in the near-term and grow up to steal his toys. Needless to say, I was flummoxed.

If you're planning to welcome a new sibling to the family, read on for expert advice on when, what, and how much to tell your older child(ren) about the new baby, both before and after the birth.

Read more:

A Brand-New Sibling
The Gift of a Sibling
Introducing Baby 1 to Baby 2
New Baby? How to Help Your Older Child