My four-year-old asked me yesterday if we could donate a few books to her school.
*PROUD PARENT MOMENT*
Since I am a book hoarder, I enlisted her help. I asked her to look through all of her books and let me know which ones we could share with the kids at her school.
Among other books, my four-year-old chose to donate three of her five big sister books.
That made me a bit wistful. Not because we need those books any longer, but because I began reminiscing about my time getting ready for our new baby.
When we initially bought the books, our goals were to instill excitement in our older daughter and prepare her not only for the good and bad aspects of having a baby around, but we also wanted to prepare her for her critical new responsibility as “big sister”.
These books did a great job helping us meet those goals, so I wanted to share them with you. You may find them helpful if you are:
1) Currently expecting,
2) Planning to become pregnant soon, or
3) Friends with someone who is about to give her daughter a little brother or sister.
In no particular order, these are five baby books we found helpful for our family before and after having another child.
Waiting for Baby
By Rachel Fuller
With a lot of pictures and few words per page, this quick read was great for the pregnancy stage. You can add as much or as little commentary as suits your family. This book addresses topics like feeling the baby move inside Mom’s belly, shopping for baby, doctor visits, and getting the nursery ready. Click here to learn more.
I’m Going to be a Big Sister
By Brenda Bercun
This book requires a longer attention span from your little one, but it’s a great story that follows a girl named Amanda through her Mother’s pregnancy and all of the big sister responsibilities that come with having a sibling. It addresses what happens when Mom goes into labor, keeping the new baby safe, and being a kind, gentle big sister. Click here to learn more.
I Am a Big Sister
By Caroline Jayne Church
This book addresses the days following when the new baby comes home with the family. It is written from the perspective of the big sister. She talks about all of the ways she is helpful, including during diaper changes and when the baby needs cuddles. My only qualm is the last page of the book which only speaks to a traditional nuclear family (Mom, Dad, Sister, Baby), rather than offering discussion on the variety of family structures kids grow up with. It’s a quick read. Click here to learn more.
I’m A Big Sister
By Joanna Cole
I know – these authors are pretty creative with their titles… This book also begins when the new baby comes home and it’s also from the perspective of the big sister. It addresses why babies cry, differences between what babies can do versus what older children can do, and how to be a good big sister. It’s a quick read. Click here to learn more.
What Sisters Do Best
By Laura Numeroff
This book is not age-specific for siblings. It’s just a great quick read about how sisters can play together and interact kindly with one another. Click here to learn more.
When To Read Big Sister (or Big Brother) Books
Personally, I would wait until you’re showing (I mean really showing, not just end of first trimester baby bump) to begin reading these books. Here’s why.
When we first found out we were pregnant, we bought these books and began reading them to our daughter. Then we had a miscarriage. Our then-1-year-old was in the room when we found out our baby had died. It was heart-breaking, but we knew we didn’t want to subject our daughter to that again going forward. Click here to learn more about our miscarriage.
So when we became pregnant again a few months after the miscarriage, we kept it quiet. We didn’t mention it at all to our daughter until I started showing enough for her to notice my growing belly.
Going forward, this is what worked best for us and what I would recommend for others.
Your Recommendations?
This is by no means an exhaustive list of big sister books. Do you have a favorite book that’s not on the list? I would love to hear about it – please share in the comments below!
*I recommend a few things in this article because they worked for me and they may add value to your life. If you happen to purchase something, I may get some coffee money so I can keep this blog going. I promise to always be honest with you.*
