ChewyMoon logo
  • Moonbucks
  • About
  • Healthy Eating
  • Snacks
  • Blog
  • Fun Pack
  • Login
  • Subscribe

Top 5 tips for preparing your firstborn for a sibling!

Top 5 tips for preparing your firstborn for a sibling!

So, you’re expecting baby number 2, congratulations! This is amazing news and I’m sure everyone in your family is delighted… well, all except maybe 1.

For your firstborn the prospect of having a sibling could be the most exciting news they’ve ever heard, or they may think mummy’s/daddy’s attention will no longer be on them.
The concept of sharing can be hard for little ones to understand, but the need to develop this skill increases once you’re expecting a new member of the family, especially if you want to avoid tantrums and unrest in yours and your children’s daily life.

So, we’ve put together some advice on how to prepare your firstborn for a sibling (including our favourite book recommendations on this topic).

~

1. Get them involved from the start:

As soon as a bump starts appearing, or you receive your first scan pictures, it’s important to show this to your child and introduce them to ‘baby’. Bump bonding can be a great way for your child to start developing care for their sibling.

 

Or, if you’re adopting, you could talk them through your exciting plans or the information you have about your new arrival.

 

Introducing them to the baby may be a great opportunity for you to ask them questions such as “are you excited for a new brother/sister?” and “you are going to be such a good big brother/sister, aren’t you?”.

 

This may help to uncover any anxieties or fears they have and therefore allow you to talk them through their worries and put their minds at ease.

 

2. Prepare them for their new “role”:

Get your child excited about their new role! Tell them how they could one day teach their younger sibling important life skills such as playing a great game of football, how to wash their hands, how to give a great hug, etc.

 

You could also purchase your little one a t-shirt that says, “I’m going to be such a good big brother/sister”.

 

This will help them to realise how important they are going to be to their sibling from day one and how exciting this new responsibility will be.

3. Read them books about becoming a sibling:

During your pregnancy/preparation for a second child, it’s a good idea to read books to your child that discuss how to adapt to becoming a sibling.

 

Your little one may feel like they can relate to the characters in the book and feel better prepared for what is to come. You may notice them saying “I’ll be just like (character name) once the baby is here”.

 

Relating to these characters will help them become more familiar with the idea of becoming a sibling.

 

Here are some great, highly recommended, children’s books that discuss this topic:

 

Topsy & Tim- The New Baby by Jean and Gareth Adamson

This book is an excellent way to introduce your child to the idea of having a sibling.

It discusses the potential difficulties and jealousies your little one may have when a new baby is brought into their life and addresses it in a positive and inspiring way.

It’s a sweet and heart-warming read.

 

 

 

 

I’m Going to be a Big Sister! / I’m Going to be a Big Brother! By Brenda Bercun

This is a great book for preparing your child on what to expect when a new baby enters their life.

It also provides parents with a way to discuss complex issues such as labour and delivery.

 

 

You and Me by Rachel Fuller (From her 4-part New Baby series)
This book handles the excitement and anticipation the arrival of a new sibling can bring onto your little one.
It also addresses the worries and confusion it may cause and helps to prepare your child for new beginnings.

 

 

 

 

4. Involve them in decisions about the baby:

Don’t be shy about discussing the baby around them, unless you know it’s upsetting them (if that’s the case you may need to work harder to address their concerns on a 1 to 1 basis). However, if they are excited or are warming up to the idea then talking about preparations for the baby with them will show them that you value their contributions in planning for the new arrival.
Get their opinion on a name you’ve been considering or ask them about what colour baby’s nursery should be.
Involving them in these discussions will help your child get excited about their new sibling. and once the baby arrives, they will feel like they’ve been a big part of preparing the family for their new member.

 

5. Don’t worry if it isn’t a smooth ride from the start:

Remember, this is a very big change for your firstborn to adapt to, they may become clingier because they feel like their parent’s attention has now been taken away from them.
It’s important to not simply ignore this change in behaviour, do your best to find some time to have one-on-one moments with them. Schedule special mummy/daddy days and use this time to understand how they feel about the change in their family.
This will hopefully create an environment for them where they can express any worries or talk about their new role as a big brother/sister.

~

It’s an exciting and strange time for little ones when a new baby enters their life, but as time goes on an undeniable bond will develop, which will delight and complete your ever-growing family even more.
I hope you found this useful and our advice helps ease any concerns you may have.

Congratulations again, and good luck for your new arrival.
With love,
The ChewyMoon Team

previous post
Tips & tricks for mastering the bed time routine with your little ones!
next post
Healthy Snacks for your little ones!


Subscribe

By Verena Klanner, Cofounder and Nutritionist


Enter your email below to receive Verena's blogs and Top Tips to help your child eat healthily. Also be in with a chance to take part in exclusive competitions!

Subscribe to mailing list
Trustpilot Logo
stamp-img
  • Snacks
  • Healthy Snacking
  • Blog
  • FAQ
  • Fun Pack
  • Superpower Generator
  • Sustainability
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • How it’s made
  • Moonbucks
2021

ChewyMoon Limited, 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom
Copyright © Chewymoon Limited. All rights reserved. Company number: 9919562. VAT number: 236438010.

Get monthly nutrition consultation from Verena, our in-house nutritionist.

  • Discuss your child’s eating habits
  • Identify key challenges and discuss solutions
  • Ask Verena general nutrition and diet questions
  • Monthly follow-up to ensure progress

We will email you to arrange these.

Welcome to ChewyMoon

Forgot Password

Don’t have a ChewyMoon account yet?

Register

have a ChewyMoon account ?

Log in

Got a fussy eater?

A smaller selection is recommended if your little one is a fussy eater. For your first few boxes choose one or two favourite flavours – just the ones you know your child loves. You will receive repeats of these. Gently introduce them to new, adventurous flavours over time. You can do this by logging into your account and adding new snacks to your snack list. Snacks are sorted by popularity so start from the top of the list.

Want variety instead?

The more snacks you add to your selection, the greater the variety in your box. If you have a large selection we will randomly select the snacks to send you each time depending on what we sent you the previous time. You can log into your account and edit your selections at any time.

Petite Box - 5 all-natural snacks

Fortnightly deliveries and billing. £2.99 per box, plus 99p postage.

  • Five snacks and a fun activity pack, delivered every two weeks
  • Customise to your taste preferences
  • Flexible subscription, pause or cancel anytime

Grande Box - 10 all-natural snacks

Fortnightly deliveries and billing. £4.99 per box, plus 99p postage..

  • Ten snacks and a fun activity pack, delivered every two weeks
  • Customise to your taste preferences
  • Flexible subscription, pause or cancel anytime

Uh-oh, it looks like your subscription isn't active.

To refer friends and receive free boxes please restart your subscription by clicking here.



Restart

Uh-oh, it looks like your don't have an active ChewyMoon subscription.

To refer friends and receive free boxes please start your subscription by clicking here.



Get started

Your subscription has been cancelled successfully!

You can restart your subscription at any time by logging in to your account.

Your Reset password link send successfully!

please check your mail, You will receive a link to create a new password via email.

Here's what you'll find in your subscription snack box


snake

Five yummy, healthy snacks for only £2.99
OR ten snacks for only £4.99 +99p postage
See snacks

snake
Get started
snake
Sticker booklet + stickers
Battle cards
Brain-busting fact card
(+ Nutrition guide for parents)
See fun pack

The ChewyMoon Promise:

Every young superhero deserves the right fuel to complete whatever mission they set their minds to; and parents deserve nutritious options they don’t have to think twice about.

So, if your child doesn’t like any of the snacks in their box, let us know. We’ll deduct the cost of that snack from your next order to fuel them up better than ever before. It’s our Moonas-back guarantee.

*Money back guarantee: If your child doesn't like any of the snacks in their box, just tell us which ones and we'll deduct the cost you paid from your next box. That's how tasty our snacks are.

We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. By continuing to browse this site, you give consent for cookies to be used. For more details please read our Cookie Policy.Okay