When parents find out they are expecting a second (or third, or fourth...) child, one of the first thoughts in their minds is trying to figure out how to prepare the current family for its new addition. There is no time like the present to start getting little one’s siblings ready for all of the big changes ahead.

One of the first big decisions parents need to make about preparing their children for a new baby is deciding when to tell them about the impending arrival. I have heard many different opinions about this, and there are many different schools of thought that could work for your family. I know of parents of young children who held off telling them about the new baby for as long as possible because nine months is many lifetimes for a young child and because they were too young to understand much of what was going on.

I subscribe to the philosophy that it is best to be upfront with children as soon as possible. We decided to tell our twins, B and E, about the new baby before we told anyone else. My husband and I knew that the boys would be faced with many people asking them about becoming big brothers, and we wanted to be sure we talked to them about it first. Plus, B and E were just past their second birthdays, so they could understand what we were telling them.

Explanations don’t have to be too specific or in-depth. Our new baby is due in October, so we explained to the boys that there was a baby growing in mommy’s tummy, that he needed lots of time to grow big and strong, and that he would come to live with us around Halloween.

If you have multiple children, how and when did you share the news with the post-natal kids? Are there any tricks that have worked especially well for you? - Sara I.