Change is coming in our household. A big change. In about four months our family of 3 (4 if you can count the dog) will be growing by another member! Our daughter is 5 years old and is probably more aware of the changes to come than many of her friends were when their new siblings arrived, solely based on the fact that she is older than many of them were when they became a big bro or sis. However, I know there is really no way ANY of us can be fully prepared for the big change that’s ahead, but I still like to do the best we can by reading books together as a family. Here are 5 books that we have found to be helpful, and that my daughter enjoys!
Little Mommy.
I’m a sucker for vintage books and this re-released one was the perfect gift to give our little girl when we told her she was about to be a big sister. Even though it follows a little girl and how she plays mommy with her baby dolls, I know it appeals to her nurturing side of how she will help care for and play with her new baby sibling. I look forward to seeing their relationship development every time I read this book with her! And I just love the illustrations from this era too! (Obviously this might not be a book you want to get your son but keep reading for more suggestions!)
What to Expect When Mommy’s Having a Baby
. I know most of us either love or hate the adult version of this book, but I’m happy to say this one will cause no fear mongering or worry for your child like the other book of a similar name! This book helps explore some of those curious questions kids have that they may or may not be able to voice yet. What does the baby eat in there? How does it grow? What does it do all day? And of course….how did that baby get in there and how is it coming out? Now if you are not ready to discuss this with your little one then skim over this book ahead of time and decide how much you want to edit or put into your own words. It is very informative and does a great job bringing tough questions down to a child’s level.
Vera’s Baby Sister
. My daughter loves all the Vera books. She has read the whole series, but we check this one out from the library a lot. Vera feels a little left out when her new baby sister arrives and is getting ALL the attention from her parents. But during this time she and her granddad find things to do together to have fun and get away from all that crying! As much as she likes this book now I think we will be revisiting it more once the baby is actually here! My daughter is already expressing some anxiety about not getting to sleep at the hospital with me so we’ve talked lots about things she can do with her grandparents until we get to bring the baby home and what she can do when she comes to visit. But, I hope books like this can help prepare her for some of those tough feelings she will probably experience.
The New Baby
. Who doesn’t love a little critters book? They are so simple and yet capture so many parts of daily life with kids that parents love to read them with their children. This one is no exception. Little Critter is a little disappointed when his new baby arrives and he finds out….hey this thing just mainly cries and sleeps. I thought I was getting a new playmate?! But he finds things he can enjoy and help with even though the baby isn’t ready to run to and play outside yet. I think this is a great little book that helps kids have realistic expectations of what life really will be like until their new buddy becomes more mobile!
What’s Inside Your Tummy Mommy?
This book is from our library and gives a month by month look at how the baby is developing and growing. Each page has a life size illustration of how big the baby currently is with fun facts about what it is doing all day in the womb! My daughter has really liked to find the page and follow along in the baby’s growth. She’ll ask “which page is our baby on today?” It also has some crazy facts that appeal to her 5 year old mind too….like the fact that the baby pees inside of me about 15 times a day. She finds this utterly fascinating.
Now does anyone have any books we can read to prepare our dog for another rugrat?
Have you found any great book recommendations to help prepare your family for another baby? Please share in the comments!
