A new baby is coming

Before the baby comes

• Tell your child what is happening, in words they can understand. The more the unknown is made known, the less there is to worry about.^{1, 2}
• Invite your child to help, without forcing it. Picking out baby things, or shopping for them together, gives them a real part in it.^{1, 2, 3}
• Think about the timing of any big change to your child's routine, such as a new room or bed, so it does not land on top of the baby's arrival.¹

After the baby is here

• Set aside special time for your older child, even if it is short and the baby is asleep.^{1, 3}
• Expect a step backward. Clinginess, wanting to be carried and other younger habits are common, and they are often a sign of stress. Rather than telling a child to act their age, give them the attention they need.^{1, 2, 3}
• Help name the feeling and let it be real: "It's a lot, isn't it?"⁴

About our story

In Tully and the New Baby, a hermit crab's shell is too small, then too tight, then too big, then just right. Tully gets a real job and a gift to give the baby, and feeling small again is treated as normal. That is our own telling, made for ages 2½ to 4. It is a way into the conversation, not a fix.