Preparing your toddler for a new baby can feel quite daunting, but there are steps you can take that will help your toddler adjust to having a new baby in the house.

In preparing your toddler for a new baby, I think the following advice that I got given myself, is a real gem. When your toddler is about to meet their little baby sister or brother for the first time, which is usually in the hospital, make sure the baby is in its crib and definitely not in your arms when you first see your toddler. Make sure they have a few minutes with you before introducing the baby to them and when you do pick up the baby, try and encourage your toddler to have a little cuddle or stroke its head or hold the baby's hand. I've also found that referring to the baby as the toddler's little sister or brother, rather than just 'the baby' gives the toddler a sense of ownership and that this new little person belongs to them.

To prepare your toddler for a new baby, its a good idea to sound very casual about the whole thing, you don't really want your toddler to pick up on any anxiety you might have about your toddler adjusting and liking the new baby.

Giving presents is another tool in preparing your toddler for a new baby. If you make the present or presents from the new baby, then the toddler would start having a positive impression of the newest member of the family.

In my opinion, there is such a thing as preparing your toddler for a new baby too early. As adults, months and sometimes even years can just fly by, but when you are young, a week can seem to take forever! When we were preparing our toddler for the arrival of his brother, we only did it about 2 months prior to the birth. This is just a guideline and obviously you'll know when the time is right to start preparing your toddler for a new baby.

There is a book called "There's a house inside my Mummy" by Giles Andreae and Vanessa Cabban, which is written from the perspective of a little boy whose mummy is pregnant. It is a delightful book that not only explains what is going on inside mummy's tummy, but what will happen when the tummy becomes empty. The story also includes details of pregnancy symptoms that young children might notice. It is a story that is beautifully written and explains very well about getting a new little brother or sister, in language that a toddler can easily understand. I thoroughly recommend this book.

I hope I have presented some useful information for preparing your toddler for a new baby. While most of this stuff has been helpful in my own experience, I don't think it is entirely possible to make sure that the toddler will always feel positive towards the new baby. After all, siblings don't always get along, even the ones that are close.

Wishing you and your family all the very best.