So, my 4 year old is excited but also a little concerned about her baby brother who is due in 2 weeks. We are trying to do everything we can to prepare her well. I am off work this week so we are doing lots of one on one stuff together, a little staycation for the 2 of us. Anyway, I'm packing the hospital bag and wanted to put something special in for her for when she comes to visit us in the hospital.
Any good ideas, I could also make something this week in the evenings after she goes to bed, just cant think of anything.
I'd do a few things:
One is make "Big Sister" shirt
and a
special new toy.
Decorate her room w/pink & white streamers & balloons
My niece got a doll from her baby sister. Not sure if it was wrapped or not, but she proudly told us her new sister gave it to her.
We did something similar, though in our case it was a Wiggles shirt - a prized possession!
We had a doctor kit for our daughter that was a gift from baby brother. She loved it and we got the cutest pictures of her giving him checkups.
We also had Daddy take her shopping for a baby gift to give baby brother. She loved doing that.
How exciting! just two weeks :)
Depending on what she's into, I like the doll idea too :
- a charm bracelet and then give them a charm to mark becoming a big sister
- a locket necklace - later on a picture of the girls inside
- a child appropriate camera/video recorder - to feel grown up at 4 years and to record pictures to share with the family - and they can put them in a scrapbook later - they always take neat photos from perspectives you'd never think of
- big sister tee shirt, pin, tiara, sash ..
Love the doll idea. When my daugter became a big sister my mom gave her a doll... Though, in all honesty it was a great toy later.
My friend brought a bag of dumdums to me at the hospital she gave one to my daughter from the baby. :) That was a hugs hit!!!
My son dearly wanted a ball run. I told my husband to go buy him one, but not tell him. We wrapped it and my husband brought it to the hospital when the family brought him to see me at the hospital.
We introduced his brand new baby brother to him and the told him that the baby loved him so much that he brought him a present. He was so impressed!
Anyway, see if you can think of something you know your 4 year old would love to have. I would do that over some "momento" gift that really means nothing to a 4 year old.
When my kids came to visit us in the hospital, the nurses were very kind and gave them ice cream to celebrate being a big sister/brother. So they all have fond memories of the ice cream - perhaps more memories of ice cream than their new sibling ! lol
My 3 year old daughter loves a tea set. I would buy a pretty plastic tea set, and put it in an Easter basket. This way you don't have to spend time wrangling the tea set from its packaging, and your daughter will have something to play with if all of a sudden, you're busy with baby.
There are also some really cute "I'm the big sister" T shirts that she can wear to the hospital - great for the photos!
Congrats!
T. Y
A baby doll is great.. I've seen lots of families do this. If your daughter isn't into dolls, consider something that's more to her interest, something that she loves and that her little sibling could 'encourage' her in. :)
Congratulations!
something she can play with while at the hospital. Staring at the baby gets really boring after 10 minutes but she'll want to stay with you. How about a gift bag of crafty / activity stuff - coloring books and new crayons, a picture frame craft that she can create while a the hospital and then put inside it a photo of her holding her baby brother. (use a glue stick if needed) My kids always like those glossy sticker books - I've seen one with the Frozen characters. Go to the craft store and see if you can find any self-containg craft kits that will fit in a small plastic container. fabric markers and t-shirt - use a black marker to outside the words "BIG SISTER" (do that now) and she can color in the words and draw pcitures - and she can then change into it at the hospital. How about an inexpensive digital camer that she can use to take pictures of her baby?
Realize that she will consider the baby hers as much as yours so let her tell people about the baby without interupting her. Let her take pride in the baby and get positive reinforcement from it. (It may save her from putting him out in the garbage a few weeks from now. Pre-schoolers have been known for stranger things!)
And congrats on your new addition to the family! So exciting!!!
the concern probably arises from all the efforts to 'prepare her.'
you can't.
it will be a big change, and there's no way that a 4 year old can possible comprehend it, no matter how much you 'prepare.' all it does is create anxiety.
relax, enjoy your little one, groove on your last few weeks of pregnancy, and prepare for THAT. your 4 year old will adjust just fine. she's got concerned parents, and she's excited about the baby. let her off the hook now, and just let her dwell in the moment as 4 year olds should instead of making her worry by trying to 'prepare' for something she can't conceptually grasp.
khairete
S.
We had each child buy a gift for each other. We gave the older sibling a favorite toy he wanted plus some things to help keep him busy during breast feeding times-coloring book, book, car, chalk. I love the idea of the camera. They both still love taking pics and it would have definitely kept the older one busy as well as entertained to take pics of the baby. Good luck and hope all goes great.
Not quite the same but We has my daughter bring my son a bike it was at home when we brought her home.
