We are coming to you with books that may help to prepare an older sibling for this sweet little baby that is on the way.
First thing to note is that, as it is for any human (however young or old), nothing can really properly prepare any of us for a new baby to enter our lives. There are definitely things that can help of course, and one of the things we did was introduce books about becoming a sibling to our big sister to be! We liked reading books because they were a gentle way to start talking about the baby on the way, and we could reference them as we began to have chats about our new family member!
There are so many sibling books out there, and quite honestly I found it to be a bit daunting to navigate which ones might be most useful to us. Our first child was going to be 18 months old when our second was born, so I was looking for books that she could understand and relate to. We certainly went through our fair share of them! The first thing we did was to ask friends and family if they had any favorites. Then we chose some of our own from what was out there. We found some to be more helpful to us than others, and below are the ones we liked the most!
Little Miss, Big Sis by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Our daughter was 18 months old when our son was born - she’s 2.5 at the time of writing this and she still loves this book as much as she did when we first got it. The book has short, simple and sweet rhyming phrases about being a big sis and what sort of ‘big sis things’ she might do, and all the things she might expect to happen. Once the new baby was here, our daughter loved pointing out all the things in the book that she did / does in her big sis role!
I Am a Big Sister by Caroline Jayne Church
I Am a Big Brother by Caroline Jayne Church
This was just a really nice, cute book with lovely and simple illustrations. It has simple rhyming phrases that detail the different things we might see with the new baby in a positive way!
Noelle The Best Big Sister by Mikaela Wilson
André The Best Big Brother by Mikaela Wilson
What we liked about this book was that it talks about perhaps not having the most positive of emotions when the baby comes, which is definitely something that could happen and is totally normal! We referenced this book a lot when we talked about forming a relationship with the new baby. We talked about how it’s okay to feel uneasy or unsure, and that we will all be getting to know the new baby and that it may take some time!
Hello in There!: A Big Sister's Book of Waiting By Jo Witek
Our daughter LOVED flipped through this one and still does! It is interactive (you can open the flaps to see where the baby in the belly is) and it is just a sweet book that shows the growing belly that your child may be familiar with!
A New Sibling for You by Wonderbly
I’ll be back in a few with more tips and ideas for helping to prepare for a new sibling on the way, but for now these books are a great start! Go take a moment to snuggle your baby (or babies!) on the outside of your belly. It is so wonderful to cherish these many lovely memories now, and so many lovely memories to be created as your family grows!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christine is a mother of two with a Master’s in Early Years Education. She has always been passionate about teaching and working with the tiniest humans. Her goal is to provide her family with healthy and sustainable choices at all times, and to share those tips with you!
