Books to help my 3.5yo prepare for sibling?

[Ophelia]

I have the recent Mothering article and Silbings w/o Rivalry, however the book seems to be more geared toward older kids.

DS is high spirited and has a hard time with transition and change. None of us truly know how it is going to affect him until it actually happens. I am also planning on homebirth likely, and have to decide whether or not to have him there (obviously I will have my Mom take him if it gets to be too much).

Are there books that both I can read as a parent and for him that we can read together? I'm due in Oct. so we have quite a bit of time.

If there is an older thread on this please point me to it. Thanks!

[Redheaded_Momma]

I could have posted this!

[mamaflutter]

I'm sorry I'm no help I have the same ? I went to the "library" and I use that term very loosely, to try and find her a few books on becoming a big sister all I found was aurther. U know the mole guy from pbs and she is not into it at all. She saw the dora episode where dora becomes a big sister but that just made her anounce my mommys got 2 babies in her belly! Um no!
Good luck mama!

[Norasmomma]

We got DD I'm a Big Sister-don't know the author, Mecer Mayer's New Baby(which is rather70s, but fine) and a couple others from the library. We then found those same books for free at our local senior we read them almost daily. Also with my daughter who is spit-fire, full on ball of energy we included her in most everything. U/S's, doctor's appointments-my doc was also a ped so she makes the child feel like a helper, she saw the baby and got to "know" him before he was born. For us the transition was pretty seamless.

[Cujobunny]

My favourite is "We Have a Baby" by Catherine Falwell

Here is a list of some good books and the ages they're geared for. They're actually books that show breastfeeding but many of them are about a new baby and an older sibling.

[Aufilia]

We got a bunch of books from the library last summer and read them together -- books about where babies come from, what babies are like, and so on. We probably had half a dozen non-fiction books that we read together and a couple fiction books as well. I wish I could remember the titles but we had so many.

[snoopy5386]

We also have a bunch out from the library - my 3 faves are the two doctor sears ones -
What Baby Needs
http://www.amazon.com/What-Needs-Sea...8537347&sr=8-1
and Baby on the Way
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Way-Sears...ref=pd_sim_b_1
and Welcome with Love which is about having a homebirth
http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Love-J...8537478&sr=8-1

We also like the books that show how big the baby is each month, etc. some do it with drawings, some do it with pictures - very helpful when you have a long way to go.

[Tjej]

I second "we have a baby" by Catherine Fallwell - very good (very simple too - works well with a 1 1/2-2yo, but I don't see why a 3 yo would dislike it).

Hello Baby! (don't remember the author) is another good one - it's got a bit more information in it about pregnancy and whatnot, so definitely for a slightly older child (depends on your 3.5yo). My DD liked it at 3.5.

What we did (although my DD was an adaptable kid, so it wasn't a big issue) was to physically do all the prep quite early - carseats and all, so that was done and not a new change. Baby clothes, baby toys, whatever. All out.

We also talked a lot about being a "family" and "together" and included the baby in that talk (talking about the baby in my belly, showing her baby pictures of herself).

We tried very hard to let her sample or try out the baby things (DD laid in the baby's bassinett before we had it set up on legs), so she didn't feel like she couldn't try things, but that she just realized they were too small for her/for babies.

HTH

Tjej

[Ophelia]

That really helps a lot, thanks! My library has some of the books, others I have to see if I can get through interlibrary loan.

Great idea also about setting out the baby stuff early to get them used to it.