I've started thinking about ways to prepare Ethan for his baby brother. We talk a lot about the baby inside my tummy and Ethan says that he has a baby inside his belly too...he'll even lift his shirt to show you. He also loves giving kisses to my tummy and will pretend for a second to be interested in feeling the baby move.
At his age, he's all about mimicking and copying every little thing we do and say. I feel like once the baby gets here, Ethan will want to copy everything I do with baby, from changing diapers, to swaddling and probably nursing too. If Ethan were a girl, I wouldn't think twice about getting him a baby doll to love on and carry around. Did you ever read, Baby Dear? It's all about how a little girl copies everything her mom does with her baby doll. I used to love this book!
And that brings me to this post. I am pretty sure that I want to get him a baby doll and would love to hear from other mamas that have prepared their two year old son for a baby. Any tips or tricks? I think it would help Ethan feel involved and part of the process to have his "own" baby. And if I introduce him to the doll soon, I'm hoping that will help him feel special and excited about babies in general.
It's actually pretty surprising how few baby boy dolls are available on the market...but here is a quick round up. I'm also including some books that I think will help Ethan start to grasp the concept.
Did you do anything special to help prepare your child for a sibling? I'd love any advice you have!
xo natasha
Thanks for posting this! When our time comes I want to get noah a baby doll for the same reason. I've asked my girl mom friends if they've seen any "boyish" dolls in their travels but they hadn't. We did however find an all gray stroller at pbkids for noah to push the future baby doll around. Noah already treats his elmo doll like a baby. When at the little girls houses he rocks their dolls to sleep and pats their back. I really don't get the double standard... Don't dads take care of their babies too!?
ReplyDeleteIt's always a big question, especially for boys! I think a doll would help me understand a lot, and let him copy too. We bought SJ a doll from her baby sister, as well as two other favourite toys - she was so happy and proud of her presents and her new baby. She copied everything in the beginning and now she wants to do it on her real sister - it is very cute and keeps them involved x
ReplyDeleteI think thats a great idea! xo jillian - cornflake dreams
ReplyDeleteI think this is the best idea!! I wanted to get Cam a doll before because he loves them, but he will definitely be getting one before Baby #2 arrives. It will teach the boys to be gentle (maybe?!)! :)
ReplyDeleteI think a baby doll for Ethan is a wonderful idea. I think we are going to get Liam one too! Don't let gender norms stop you! Boys can have dolls if they want!
ReplyDeleteMy Mother-In-Law bought a baby doll for my husband when she was pregnant with his brother. He wasn't terribly interested in it, but it certainly didn't "damage" him in any way. I have a son now and I plan on giving him a baby doll to help him prepare for whenever we have another baby. I say go for it!
ReplyDeleteThis post provided a wealth of information for me:
ReplyDeletehttp://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2013/02/motherhood-mondays-how-do-you-prepare.html
We discussed it with my son a bit, trying to not emphasize the big brother thing, because we thought it put pressure on him to grow up. I was astounded at how much he understood. When he came to visit me in the hospital, he totally bypassed me to see his baby sister. About the doll, my son had a stuffed lion that he loved from before, so I just let him use the swing, and the bassinet for his baby lion. He also tried out the crib, and the pack and play before his sister arrived.
I also read daily this post:
http://www.janetlansbury.com/2013/04/helping-kids-adjust-to-life-with-the-new-baby/
For you, the book Siblings without Rivalry is fantastic.
You are in for a treat! It's amazing how much love you can feel for your kids!
I love this idea! My mom bought my little boy a teletubbie elephant doll, its blue. Nick loves it!! Go for it!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a cute idea! I'm sure Ethan will be a wonderful big brother!!
ReplyDeleteWe had one for my 2 year old son before baby 2 arrived in September! I actually found an old boy doll that was mine when I was little, and my son was obsessed with it! He slept with it, likes to take his clothes on/off Etc! I think it helps them understand a lot more! Just a little scary when they end up standing on the baby doll's head :)
ReplyDeleteI only have one kiddo so I haven't been there yet, but my daughter loves baby dolls. She doesn't have one herself but enjoys playing with others at play dates etc. I've already decided that we'll get her a baby doll to prepare her for a sibling when the day comes. I think it's a great idea for boys or girls!
ReplyDeleteMy mom bought Mac a little boy doll (it looked kinda like that 4th one you have pictured) for him to "practice" on before Mim arrived. He really wasn't interested in it at all at the time, but I've noticed him playing with it more now that she's here. He feeds the baby a bottle and burps him. He takes his hat off and on. When I'm changing Mim's diaper I ask him if he wants to change his baby's diaper (he never does), but it's good practice. He's kinda gentle with the baby, but not always. He's just not really into it. I think some boys (sensitive sweet ones) would probably get a lot out of it. Mac's just too wild right now, I think, so it really depends on the kid's temperament. But it wouldn't hurt! We also got a lot of those big brother books (which he hated and wouldn't read). However, he really liked this book on babies: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/babies-gyo-fujikawa/1102477732?ean=9780448030845. We also have these little mini board books of baby faces and things that he's obsessed with: http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Faces-Board-Book-Block/dp/1450814042 They don't really relate to a new baby, but we make up stories about the babies in the books and make them relate back to our new baby (babies only drink milk, babies get sad and cry, babies wear diapers, etc.). Anyway, hope that helps! I really think the only way he's going to actually get it is when the new baby is here and he'll have to deal with it. It's hard to prepare a 2 year old b/c they are smart enough to know something's up, but don't really get it.
ReplyDeleteHow funny! Right around the time I got pregnant my son found one of my old cabbage patch kids and became obsessed with him! 7 months later and he sleeps with him and still loves him. I was going to buy him a corolle doll, but a 30 year old cabbage patch seems to be doing the job! I am going to get some of those books for him though!
ReplyDeleteIt is a wonderful idea. We actually gave Elie a special doll when she came to see her sister for the first time at the hospital as it was her special baby to bring home like her sister. Being a girl she already had a few at home. She loved taking care of her baby just like I did her sister.
ReplyDeleteWe got Liam a baby doll and stroller when I was pregnant with Liesl and he loved it! We used the doll to teach him where he could kiss her and how to be extra gentle. Once it was getting close to d-day and we got out the baby gear, it was nice having a doll to show him what everything was for and how baby would be using it. He of course was a 2 year old boy so his VERY favorite thing was to put the doll in the stroller and run/push it through the house like a mad man, but at least he buckled baby up every time! :)
ReplyDeleteThat "I'm a big Brother/Sister" book is awesome. My daughter has it and we love it. She was 2years+2months when Carson was born. We got her a "baby Minnie mouse" that comes with a swaddle blanket and she'd swaddle Minnie. It was cute.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great idea! Boy doll or a stuffed animal, I've seen kids treat both as babies. We don't have a 2nd baby yet, but we did get K that Corolle Mon Premier baby (girl one) and she is into all things baby! It's a really lovely quality. It's amazing, I'll just show her once what to do for baby (i.e. I "fed" baby when she wouldn't eat something. Now baby always gets "fed" too!)
ReplyDeletexx Viv at JoieDeViv
My mom bought a doll for my 2 year old, as we're expecting boy #2 this winter. We've talked to him about his little brother and having a new baby in the house and he's always very sweet about it- he understands as much as a young toddler can, I guess! As for the doll, he liked it and played for a bit but then just kind of forgot about it. He's just way more interested in all of his trains, cars, and tools :) Good luck, I'm sure Ethan will be a great big bro!
ReplyDeleteI think it's a great idea, I would love to hear what you find out from others and what doll you end up getting.
ReplyDeleteWe are expecting in December and my boy is just a few days younger than Ethan. We sort of did this on accident last week. On sale at TJ Maxx, my son saw a Caillou doll. (He's a big fan.) He definitely wanted to get it. And you know what, he tucks the Caillou doll in for naps, gives him kisses, and last night during story time he even gave him a sip of his milk. This is all on his own. I am still wondering what the transition to big brother will be like. He is really young and doesn't really "get it" in my opinion. I know my days will be crazy. But the doll thing might be helping and working just a tad. I say give it a shot. Have you seen those boy plush dolls at Ikea? They aren't pretty, perfect for a boy.
ReplyDeleteThis is very ironic because I was just googling 'baby boy doll' last week. I want a doll for my almost two year old boy so that he can learn to do more pretend play, learn empathy, to put clothes on, aid in potty training, and responsibility. There are things on my list i want in a doll. I want an opening in the mouth for bottle/paci, hard bodied doll so he can give it a bath, eyes that open and shut, pants and shirt to practice, and a doll that is realistic as my son is a concrete thinker and doesn't treat elmo like a doll. I think the best on I found is a lot like the fourth one on your list! ( I also have to mention, I love your blog but your ads are out of control. It is hard to even type this because of all the reloading going on.)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the feedback! I wonder if you're accessing my blog via mobile...I imagine that is where the ads are coming from? If that's not the case, please let me know as I would love to be able to fix the issue.
DeleteAnd I agree with all of your items that you're looking for in a doll. Ethan hasn't really taken to stuffed animals, so I feel that have a realistic baby would be best for him.