James Donaldson on Mental Health - Preparing Your Child for a New Sibling

Preparing kids of different ages Ages 1- 2 years Children this young may not “get” all that much about what it is going to mean to them to have a new brother or sister.

But you should still talk about the new baby with excitement.

Look at picture books about a new baby.

At the very least, your child will become familiar with words like “sister,” “brother” and “new baby.” Do something special for your older child when the new baby arrives.

This could mean taking them someplace special, spending time with grandparents or a small gift.

If your family is comfortable using the baby’s name before it’s born, that’s an excellent way for little kids to get used the idea.

Ages 2-4 years At this age, kids tend to be pretty territorial when it comes to their parents and may not love the idea of sharing your attention.

They may also be more sensitive to change in the family than you might imagine a child this young would be.

“I think for a 2- to 4-year-old, the easiest way to talk about it would be to say that the family is going to grow,” says Dr.

“Explain there is going to be a new person who’s going to come into the family and that’s going to be a brother or a sister”.