What’s your story?

When Renee Whitcombe was pregnant with her second child, she looked high and low for a book to prepare her daughter for the impending new arrival. I know that she didn’t find much, because I embarked on the same search and came up mostly empty-handed.

From her post-partum hospital bed, Renee conceived of a book that parents could personalize for their children to prepare them for this big transition. Along with her new infant, Renee nurtured her idea and she now publishes a series of books, “Look Who’s Going to be a Big Brother”, “Look Who’s Going to be a Big Sister” and the newest one, “Look Who’s Moving to a New Home.” All you need is a Sharpie and plenty of photos. It’s a really fun project for parents, and it becomes a wonderful keepsake that your whole family will treasure.

If you are looking for some other books on the topic, I found that many of the options had a fairly negative tone, with the main characters very concerned about the changes ahead. I once asked a friend who is a prominent school psychologist about this, and she said that it’s important for kids to feel okay if they have hurt or resentful feelings about their new siblings. This makes a lot of sense for kids who are struggling after the baby arrives. But for prepping my toddler, I stuck with books that were very positive and encouraging. My favorites are:
“The Baby House” by Norma Simon, illustrated by Barbara Samuels (out of print, but worth hunting for)
“Tell Me My Story, Mama” by Deb Lund, illustrated by Hiroe Nakata
“Waiting for Baby” by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Emily Bolam

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