what should i expect from my 4 yr old?

Question

i have a 4yr old girl and im 6 months pregnant with my son.we told her a few months back that we are having a baby and ever since then she plays with her baby dolls more,feeding then washing them and all that.when the baby does arrive will i see her acting like that with the baby or will she want nothing to do with him.i have gotten her books on being a big sister and seems excited but would love to hear from those of you who have experienced what i have to look forward too...thanks

we bring her to all the appointments and to the ultrasound and will be going to the next ultrasound on wednesday.i was thinking of having her in the room while i give birth...would that be a good or bad thing do u think?

Answer 1

It sounds like she is already excited to be a big sister. Just keep encouraging her to be a good example and a big helper and everything should go well. Alot of other good advice, too, by the way. I would read all the answers.

Answer 2

well even though every child is different. What you do have in my opinion is normal. But don't forget a child may seem happy at one moment and not the next. For example my son was happy to be a Big Brother and he was excited. He also said he loved his little brother a whole lot. Week or two later new wore off and as we were driving home, he got mad at his little brother for spitting up on his hand and grabbed his foot and bit him hard we wondered what was wrong and stopped to see blood coming from our baby's sock. So just remember to spend quality time alone with both and let your daughter know you love her just as much. and keep an eye on her lol. She will make a fine helper when changing the baby.

Answer 3

Well congrats on your pregnancy...its great that she is looking forward from her actions to being a big sister.

But honestly please DO NOT bring her into the birthing room... Honestly its not a place for children and its can be traumatizing. There is a lot of movement of hospital personnel in and out, a lot of waiting, pain and sometimes *God forbid* something could go wrong and you might face an emergency.

My friend did that and she still regrets it to this day...not a pretty site and her child started to cry uncontrollably becuase *Mommy was in pain*.

So save the joy for when you bring the baby home. Just explain you have to go the hospital for awhile and will be back with the baby, trust me she will understand and will so excited to see you again *smiles*

Answer 4

My oldest was 3 1/2 when I got pregnant with our second daughter. I bought books like "I'm a Big Sister" and we talked a lot about babies (I would point them out at the grocery stores, the mall, etc and comment on their small size, etc). My advice is two-fold: Make sure after your son is born that you spend some quality time with just you and your daughter (while the baby is sleeping or right after you feed, hand him off to your hub), even if it is just a few minutes reading some books together or coloring. Second, get your daughter a "gift" from her little brother, and have her pick one out for him as well. I found that getting my oldest involved in the process made it much easier. Good Luck!

Answer 5

If your daughter feels ignored bacause of the baby she will view it's arrival negatively. It sounds like you are really making her feel involved though, so she should see it as a really exciting positive experience. One tip is when she visits you and baby for first time you have a little gift for her 'from baby'. Also play up the importance of the 'Big Sister' role in everything to do with baby. Little girls love feeling important, helpful and grown up!! And try to make sure that you both make time to spend focused on just your daughter or she may feel resentful. Best wishes with everything!

Answer 6

First of all I personally dont think she should be in the birthing room it may scare her seeing you with all the blood and needles and stuff and depending on how stressful you labor is , it may hurt more than help her . and as far as when the baby comes home she will probably be like any other kid and want to hold him and do things for him for a while then it will get old as she gets used to the baby being there. But the most important thing is dont leave her out ,let her get diapers lotion and other things she can help with and she wont be jealous. And dont let other ppl make a difference in them either....

Answer 7

Im going to school for early childhood education! i feel its great that you are including her in this experience. The reason why she is taking care of babydolls is because this is a normal stage for a child to go through. Every child will mock what a parent does for a child. She is probably very excited and she is growing up normal. Keep including her in with the baby so she doesnt feel left out and even let her help like getting bottles of the the daiper bag for the baby because the more she can help the better off she will be with your newborn

Answer 8

First of all, RELAX. My daughter was 3½ years old when my youngest was born, and she was a "little mommy" with her (still is sometimes!). One really important thing we did was to have her get the baby a gift to give her in the hospital. When she came to give the gift, the baby gave HER a gift too! She was completely bowled over! Also, I would introduce the baby to people as "Kelly's new little sister." There will be times when you have to favor the baby, and your other child will cope with it! Just don't forget to leave baby at home now and then and go off and do "Mommy & me" things with the older child. This will foster lots of good will between them. I used to find the oldest snuggled in the crib with her little sister "reading" to her. They are now 13 and 10, and they still have "sleepovers" in each other's rooms!

Best of luck!

Answer 9

Hi, My daughter was 4 when we found out I was going to have twins. We kept her very involved through my entire pregnancy and when the girls came early we took her to visit them in the NICU at our hospital. She went to all my doctor appts. When we brought them home we made sure we had special time with her as well as having time with the girls. She played a very big part in the care of the girls. She enjoyed "keeping an eye on them" while we prepared bottles or got baths ready. She even took "its a girl" lollypops to school to share with her friends. We also made sure she had some private time with her grandparents so she could get a little break. Now she is 9 and the girls are 4 and they really love eachother and have a great friendship!

Answer 10

Sorry, I have no experience in that field of mommy-hood. Be patient and loving I would also say do not smother her with too much attention because, than she will be expecting that all of the time. That is just not reality.