Books Can Help!

Use books to help your child understand in a more concrete way what it will be like to have this new little person in their world. And don't sugar coat it too much. Let them know this child will cry, eat and poop a lot but that they will also have a special relationship that is only for them – siblings.

We love Caroline Jayne Church's board books I Am a Big Sister and I Am a Big Brother for the youngest, those children infant to age 3. In fact, we love them so much we feature them in our bestselling I'm a Big Sister Bundle and I'm a Big Brother Bundle along with a beautiful plush bear announcing the recipient's awesome new status. They're the perfect new sibling gifts.

Use Pretend Play to Teach Your Toddler About Babies

"Pretend play help toddlers gain an understanding of the world," says Susan Linn, Ed.D., author of The Case for Make Believe. Using dolls, you can playfully lead your toddler or preschooler through a variety of scenarios that he or she will later see you engage in with their new little brother or sister. Try singing a lullaby together as your little one tries to get their doll to sleep. Teach your toddler how to burp a baby doll - complete with fun exaggerated "BURP!" sounds of course. In addition to the fun this pretend play will be, your child will also learn that babies require quite a bit of handling and management by their parents and that some of it will be loud and messy.

Remember That the Logistics of Having a Baby Can Seem Scary

Hospitals can be a scary place, even if you're there for the best reason. Childbirth usually involves putting your older child in someone else's care at odd hours. I had never spent the night away from my firstborn until I went to the hospital to give birth to her baby brother. Know that when your older child comes to visit you at the hospital after you give birth, he might be a little nervous at first. Let it be about just the two of you before you introduce the new baby.

I was able to minimize the scariness of the hospital room – where my children would have to reluctantly leave me for another night – by pointing out some of the cool features like the remote control bed, the buttons that let me call for anything I needed at the nurse's station and the tv of course.

Other suggestions I love are personalizing the room with pictures of or by your older child, changing into regular clothes when you greet your child that first day, giving the older sibling a gift "from" the new baby and reminding visitors beforehand to greet the older child too.

After You Get Home

Taking care of a newborn and an older child can be challenging and there will be a learning curve for everyone. Routines can be lifesavers for parents and this is especially true when you are learning to balance two children. Your newborn's schedule will be erratic but you can use her needs as "cues" for things to do with your firstborn. Does the baby need to eat? Have specific spots where you feed your baby that are "firstborn friendly." These are spots that have room enough for all three of you and some sort of activity that your older child can engage in while your younger one eats. Perhaps a comfy couch with a box of her favorite books nearby? She can "read" them to you or you can read them to her. Maybe a relaxing chair near an arts and crafts table that has a stash of supplies? Feeding time seems like a great time for some play dough or sticker fun.

Talk It Out – Creatively

I often feel that one of the most important things I do as a parent is listen and talk. The listening is easy but the talking part has to be done a little more creatively. Especially with young children, sometimes it's not what you tell a child it's how you tell it to them.

I love Adele Faber's idea of letting an older child know how much their baby brother or sister loves them right from the start by marveling out loud about how "the baby only smiles like that for his brother" or that "his sister always gets him to give the biggest laughs."

One of our parents here at IncrediBundles.com talks about how she "mentions" to her older child that she bets the baby will be so happy when he gets to stay up late with them and eat ice cream instead of having the same old bottle and off to bed. Reminding your child that being big is a good thing can go a long way to curb new baby envy.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is a sibling – a co-conspirator in childhood and life. Through all the tears and exhaustion of growing a family, make sure to take the time to appreciate and memorialize the magic of one little person welcoming another into their family and their world. Take lots of pictures and when you look at them years into the future, it's the magic part that you will remember.