10 Ways to Prepare Your Toddler for a New Baby Sibling

Here are some great ways to make sure your toddler will be well prepared for the transition of welcoming a new baby to the family!

I remember vividly, how the thought of bringing a new baby into our family of three both scared me and excited me.

I was so excited to see how my sweet first born son would love his baby sister. But, I was nervous about how the transition would go.

Would he take to her immediately? Would he feel left out? Would I still be able to give him enough attention? Or would he be pretty indifferent?

Bringing a new baby into your home while having a toddler can go a million different ways. We all know that every toddler and every family is different.

Your toddler may be well prepared, and may respond well and happily to a new baby, even if they are not prepared.

Maybe the transition will be a little more difficult for them.

Obviously as a soon to be mom or dad of two or more (congratulations!), you want your other kids to feel ready for the new addition (as ready as they can be).

Having been through this transition, these are the tips I used or would use if I had to do it all over again. I hope they will help the transition go as smooth as possible, for you and your toddler as well!

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Decide on the timing of major changes

This pertains to potty training, or getting rid of the binky, etc. Obviously there are things you cannot necessarily control. Maybe you have to move suddenly.

But, for things like potty training, getting rid of the binky, moving a toddler from your bed back into their own bed, or from the crib to a toddler bed – make those changes as soon in your second pregnancy as possible.

The sooner you get them done, the more solidified they are in your toddler’s brain, making the chance of regression so much less.

Plus, the arrival of a new baby sibling is a big enough change, you do not want too many big things happening at once for your toddler.

If you don’t have time or your toddler is not quite old enough for potty training or whatever the transition may be, wait until a few months after the arrival of your new baby.

Or, if you do not want to do it before, then don’t and wait! Do whatever will work best for your family.

Have your toddler help with baby set up

There are so many ways to involve your toddler in the set up and decisions before a new baby arrival.

They can help set up the crib, pick out colors for walls and pick out new outfits for the baby. They can set up bottles, diapers, wipes, nursery decorations, and anything else you will need.

A toddler loves to feel needed, involved, and part of the family. So, letting them help is super important for their self-worth, even if it slows things down for you.

The more you involve them before the baby is here, the more they will be likely to help when they baby arrives. They can run and get you a diaper, they can help vacuum (even if the miss a spot or two) and practice cleaning up their toys.

Practicing these things before will mean they are better at it in time.

The possibilities are endless. If you take only one thing away from this article, let it be to involve your toddler in everything!

Have your toddler pick out a gift (and have one for your toddler from the baby)

Honestly, I did not do this with my son before the arrival of my daughter, but I wish I had. It is totally optional but it makes things a little more fun and exciting. Plus, it just makes for another really cute moment between siblings.

The gift does not have to be big or extravagant. You know by now that toddlers are happy with the littlest of things.

Make sure to involve your toddler in picking out a gift for the baby so they feel that sense of pride when giving the baby the gift.

Read lots of books about being a big brother/sister

There are so many great books on being a big brother or sister. Some of my favorites and the ones we have are:

I am a Big Brother / I am a Big Sister

The New Baby

Books are such a great way to help toddlers and children visualize and understand what is going to happen.

There are so many to choose from, based off different interests, so I recommend clicking the links above and seeing what other books come up that might suit your family as well!

Talk about all the different ways they can help or play with the new baby

Talk often about how your toddler can help when the new baby comes.

The book above, “The New Baby”, talks about all the different ways a big brother or sister can help with new baby.

For some ideas, you can tell your toddler that they can bring you diapers and wipes to help change the baby, they can feed the baby (if using bottles), play with the baby or sing to the baby.

I’m sure by now you know how much toddlers love to help, so this should get them excited!

Set up a nursing basket for your toddler

It is a good idea to set up a nursing basket for your toddler. This is a basket full of toys, books and activities, maybe even snacks, that only come out when you are nursing.

Here are some ideas of things to add:

You can get different versions of these things and refresh every week or two, so your toddler stays interested.

These are just a few ideas, add in whatever you think your toddler would enjoy!

Acknowledge your toddler’s feelings about the baby

Of course your toddler may have some big feelings about a baby in the house.

All of a sudden, they are not the only ones needing your attention, and that can be harder for some toddlers than others.

The most important thing to do when these feelings come up, is not to shame or try and change them, but acknowledge them.

Adjust your expectations – give your toddler (and yourself) some grace

Obviously this is a huge change, not only for you but for the whole family. Your toddler may not really understand what is going on, and even if they do, there is no way to know for sure how they will react when baby is here.

So, give them some grace, and just as importantly, give yourself some grace mama!

Juggling a toddler (or more) and a new baby is tough work. So take it easy, do what you have to do, and enjoy the ride as much as possible!