Original Ways to Tell Your Child They're Going to Have a New Sibling
Is your family about to get larger? !! Congratulations!! Without a doubt, this is a very special moment. Therefore, we’d like to help you by suggesting several original ways to tell your child that they’re going to have a new sibling.
How you convey it to them will be important when it comes to how they’ll feel about this new situation. From now on, they’ll be the older sibling, and that’s a very important role.
Original ways to tell your child that they’re going to have a new sibling
Children are often very excited when they find out that they’re going to have a new sibling. The way you give them the news will depend, to a large extent, on how old they are.
If your little one is 4 years old or older, it’s best to tell him after the first three months of pregnancy when the risks of a miscarriage have already been overcome. Therefore, they can be excited about the arrival of the new baby brother or sister.
However, if your child is less than 4 years old, it’s better to wait for your belly to give you away. At this age, little ones aren’t able to understand how long they’ll have to wait until they have the baby at home.
With older children, things change. You can involve them in the process and in the preparations for the arrival of the new family member.
So, if you’re pregnant and want to tell your child in an original way, take note of our suggestions.
A personalized book
This idea is great for those families who have children between 4 and 6 years old when their understanding is greater and they’re able to enjoy the stories you read them.
There are many companies that make personalized books. You give them the names of your family members and the main theme, which, in this case, will be the arrival of their new sibling.
Tell your child that they’re going to have a new sibling with a cake
Most children love cakes and sweets, so you can break the news with a very special cake. Try to make it their favorite flavor, decorate it in that special way that you know they’ll like a lot, and if they can read, put a sign on them that makes it clear that they’re going to become the older sibling.
Inside the cake, you can also hide a photo of the ultrasound, a drawing, or some other sign that will tell them what’s going on. Everything will depend on the age of your little one.
Take them with you when you get an ultrasound
If your firstborn is over 8 years old, they can already get much more involved in this new adventure. Many parents decide to take their older children to the first ultrasound so that they can see with their own eyes what’s in Mom’s belly.
Seeing them, listening to their heart, and feeling like they’re part of the process will make them feel very happy and taken into account. Then, to top off the day, they can enjoy their favorite meal or an afternoon of movies and popcorn.
A very special photo album
You can create a photo album just for them and their little brother. Include all the photos you have of them: From the first ultrasounds, their birth, their birthdays, and all special occasions. Dedicate a section for their new sibling. That way, they can create a very beautiful story.
Explain that, from now on, they’ll share all those memorable moments with someone else, and put them in charge of filling that album with all those memories that you’ll create as a family.
Tell your child that they’re going to have a new sibling with a scavenger hunt
You can also break the news by doing what children love the most: Playing. If they’re already a certain age, you can organize a scavenger hunt or a treasure hunt to tell them the big news.
Hide clues around the house or in a park or yard and leave little surprises behind. At the end of the game, they should already be able to guess that they’re about to become the big brother or sister.
Telling your child that they’re going to have a new sibling is one of the most important moments that they’ll experience in this new stage. Do it with all the love and attention placed on them and try to involve them in the arrival of the new baby.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Paredes Rojas, N. A. (2017). Nano-llega un nuevo hermano. https://repositorio.uniandes.edu.co/bitstream/handle/1992/18902/u729228.pdf?sequence=1
- Tagliabue Ganoza, R. (2012). La experiencia de tener un hermano en niños de ocho a diez años. https://tesis.pucp.edu.pe/repositorio/handle/20.500.12404/1542
- Viguer, P., Cantero, M. J., Rico, C., & Serra, E. (2009). Un estudio longitudinal sobre la influencia del nacimiento de un hermano en la calidad del apego y la autonomía personal en niños de 3 a 5 años. Infancia y aprendizaje, 32(4), 567-581.