My son is 3 1/2. I am 16 weeks pregnant. We are going to tell him soon that he is going to be a big brother. How did you break this news to your child? Also...how did you answer questions about how the baby got in mommy's tummy?
2007-11-15 06:55:58 · 7 answers · asked by Amanda K 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
I showed my five year old the sonogram and explained he was gonna be a big brother..he was super excited...
He only asked how they got the baby out..I was very forward with him and told him that it could come out of mommys "peepee" or the doctor could cut mommys tummy but then stitch it back up..He said he hopes the baby comes out of mommys peepee..
I opted to tell him the truth, only in childrens terms....
2007-11-15 07:00:12 · answer #1 · answered by MeL 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Books! There are a lot of books out there about mommy being pregnant & becoming a big brother or big sister. Some of them have characters from books he might already have (bernstein bears, little critter, Arthur, etc). Do a search at amazon.com for big brother under books & you'll get a lot of titles. Also look up Before You Were Born by Jennifer Davis and Laura Cornell & under "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" there'll be some other children's books about pregnancy that'll explain it in an age appropriate way. You should read the book before reading it to your son though just to make sure it's really for his age group. Another thing you might want to do, I bought a present for my son & said it was from the baby & gave it to him when he visited us in the hospital.
2007-11-15 07:17:52 · answer #2 · answered by Dawna 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
we told our 3 1/2 yr old son yesterday that we were pregnant (15 weeks) we said mommy has a baby growing in her tummy. He looked at me very seriously and said "you ate a baby??"
2007-11-19 06:04:10 · answer #3 · answered by angela b 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't try to be technical, he won't understand. Tell him he is going to be a big brother and the baby will live in your belly for a while. He may not even care enough to ask questions, but if he does, give him simple answers. He doesn't have to know how it all works yet.
2007-11-15 07:01:26 · answer #4 · answered by Sugarcookie 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Change can be stressful for a toddler, especially something that changes their world as dramatically as having a new sibling. Fortunately, we are given 9 months to prepare for such a life changing event. Your toddler’s reaction to a new sibling will depend, on part, on their age at the time they become a big brother or a big sister.
Younger toddlers have the advantage of quickly being able to forget life before the new baby arrived and can make the transition quite easily. The down side is they are less likely to understand why mom has to stay at the hospital for a few days and why she may not be up to playing the way she normally does while she recovers. Friends and family can help by spending time with your toddler and making the first few weeks with a new baby a little easier for them by taking them out of the house to do fun things.
Older toddlers and preschoolers can be prepared emotionally before hand by talking about what life with the new baby will be like and by reading books about becoming a big brother or a big sister. Older toddlers may enjoy being part of the process of preparing to welcome a new baby. They can help by putting things away in the nursery and picking out new things for their new siblings.
A sibling gift can help an older sibling not feel overlooked in the excitement that surrounds the arrival of a new baby. Watching the new baby receive gifts from family and friends can be frustrating for a toddler who loves to receive gifts. A small toy or book can help an older sibling feel a part of the celebration and not be frustrated by the gifts that the new baby is receiving.
Read books about becoming a big brother or a big sister with your toddler. Reading books about a new sibling normalizes the process for toddlers. They may enjoy discussing their feelings about the book and about becoming a big brother or big sisters after reading the book. Some good books to help toddlers understand what it will be like to have a new baby in the house are, My New Baby, Waiting for Baby, and The New Baby.
Calmly explain to your son what’s going on. You can pick up a book at Barnes and Noble on becoming a big brother. You can also buy him a T-Shirt that says big brother. Have him help you out with choosing the theme for the baby's room. Speak to him about how cool its going to be for him to have someone to play with all the time someone that will look up to him.
Take a look at this link hope it helps with some ideas.
http://family.go.com/parentpedia/preschool/milestones-development/preschool-new-siblings/
2007-11-15 07:19:28 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
well, I only have one baby but I remember when my mom was pg with my sister she told me that God was sending our family another baby and that I was gonna be a big sister and her main helper. When I ask how the baby got there she said God put it there and pushed it trough the belly button LOL. I also asked how the baby went to the bathroom, ate, slept, talk, breath, etc, so expect a whole bunch of questions. Congratulations on your 2nd addition.
2007-11-15 07:03:37 · answer #6 · answered by Baby Ruth habla español 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the truth at his level. you can use pictures to show what is growing inside you and if he wants to know how it got there then you talk about it at his level 'mommy and daddy wanted another baby so we made one together' or
'daddy put his sperm inside me' etc. use books from library or other educational materials. above all don't lie or say that the stork brought the baby.
2007-11-15 07:00:34 · answer #7 · answered by Sufi 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋