5 Things Every Mom Should Do With Their 'Big Kid' Before the Next Baby Comes Along

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by Nicole Fabian-Weber 3 hours ago

Right now, I only have one child, but from what I hear, there are a wide variety of emotions that come into play before baby #2 makes his or her debut. And I can only imagine. When I think about having another child, I look at my daughter and think, "Gosh, how could I possibly love someone else this much? My heart is filled to the brim!" Okay, that's a little cheesy, but that's the honest to god general sentiment. Then I think about adding the hormones from pregnancy into the mix, and oof. The whole thing seems so ... emotional. But I'd like to have another baby someday. Maybe even two. But I, like all moms, want to be sure to soak up every minute with my "big girl" before the next baby makes their grand entrance.

Who knows what will happen if/when I'm pregnant next, but if I do have another, I plan on doing these five special things with my daughter during the last month of my pregnancy. While it's still just me and her.

1. Let her stay up late, watching movies. Everybody knows "staying up late" is a truly special thing for kids. Especially if there are movies and popcorn involved. This isn't something your kid should do all the time for obvious reasons, but it's an "exciting" thing for them, and kind of shows them that they're officially a "big kid".

2. Take a long, leisurely nap together. For most moms, nap time is when we get stuff done. One day, let everything just be, and crawl up with your little one and sleep when he sleeps.

3. Go on a "date" together. This, of course, should still be done once in a while after baby arrives, but having a really special day together -- just you and big brother or big sis -- is such a sweet and fun way to show how important they'll always be.

4. Get him or her excited for being a big brother or sister. Tell them all about the awesome perks of being the older sibling. You can also purchase one of those cute "big sis" or "big brother" shirts or books.

5. Let them sleep in bed with you. If you don't co-sleep, invite your kid into bed with you for the night as a special "treat". Though you may want to schedule this one for a good two or three weeks ahead of your due date, so things don't get confusing once baby arrives.

What things did you do to make your older kid feel special before you had another?

Image via Edwart Visser/Flickr

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