A story for the older child - teaches how to cope with the arrival of your new baby.
------Story Content
A New Baby in
{child's first name}'s Family
This book was created especially for
{Child's Full Name}
{Dedication}
{Name of person/persons giving gift}
{Date of gift}
Once there was a little {boy/girl} named {child's first name or nickname/namecalled}, age {child's age}. {he/she} lived in {hometown}. One day, something very exciting happened at {child's first name or nickname/namecalled}'s home. A brand new baby {boy/girl} came to stay.
"This is our new baby," everyone said to {child's first name or nickname/namecalled}. "{his/her} name is {name of the new baby}." {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} could hardly believe it. "Wow!" {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} said right out loud. "I'm {name of the new baby}'s big {brother/sister}! I wonder what this is going to be like."
From that day on, {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} began to find out what it was like to have a new baby {brother/sister} in {his/her} family. What {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} first noticed was that everyone seemed very happy. {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} also noticed that everyone seemed very busy, too.
There was always a flurry of activity around {name of the new baby}. Friends and relatives and neighbors were dropping in all the time. Everyone wanted to come for a visit. And everyone wanted to see the new baby.
{name of the new baby} was very nice to look at! But {he/she} wasn't able to talk or walk or play. {he/she} wasn't even able to sit up by {himself/herself}. There were only two things {he/she} could do! {he/she} could sleep, and {he/she} could cry. Little {name of the new baby} was pretty good at sleeping, and {he/she} was very good at crying.
{name of the new baby} took a lot of looking after. {he/she} had to be washed in warm, soapy water: warm, but not too warm; soapy, but not too soapy. {he/she} had to be dried with a soft, fluffy towel: soft, but not too soft; fluffy, but not too fluffy. {he/she} had to be dressed in special clothes and fed special food. And everyone had to be very quiet, so that little {name of the new baby} could get to sleep.
It wasn't just friends and relatives and neighbors who wanted to see {name of the new baby}. There were doctors and nurses, too. They wanted to have a look at {him/her} just like everyone else. They even had special gadgets for listening to {his/her} heart, {his/her} lungs, and all the other things inside {him/her}.
{child's first name or nickname/namecalled} wondered if {name of the new baby} sometimes just wanted to be left alone. Everyone was always making such a fuss over h{him/her}! Actually, {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} sometimes wished that everyone would leave {name of the new baby} alone. "Maybe they should make a fuss about me for a while," {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} thought.
Sometimes {name of the new baby} was taken for a walk. {he/she} was wrapped in a special little blanket, and there was a special little buggy for {him/her} to ride in. And wherever they went, it was baby {name of the new baby} that the people wanted to see. "Oh, what rosy little cheeks!" they would say. "And, what pretty little eyes, and darling little fingers!" "People sure do like babies," {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} thought to {himself/}herself."
Baby {name of the new baby} was given all sorts of special presents, just because {he/she} was a baby: beautiful flowers to brighten up the house, big fluffy teddy bears to watch {him/her} as {he/she} slept, and all kinds of toys! There were toys to shake, toys to stack and toys to roll. {child's first name or nickname/namecalled}'s toys were mostly old ones that {he/she} had played with for years.
It seemed that no one had much time for {child's first name or nickname/namecalled}. "Let's go to the park and play," {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} said. "We're sorry, {child's first name or nickname/namecalled}. We're busy with the baby." "Will you read me a book?" {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} asked. "Maybe later, since the baby needs me just now." "Could we play a game together?" {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} questioned. "That's a good idea, but the baby is a little fussy."
One morning as {he/she} was waking up, {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} had an idea. "When I was a baby," {he/she} thought to {himself/herself}, "everyone made a fuss over me." {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} thought that maybe {he/she} should become a baby again. "If I were a baby," {he/she} said to herself, "{name of the new baby} wouldn't be the only one they would fuss about!"
{child's first name or nickname/namecalled} thought about doing what baby {name of the new baby} did. {he/she} thought about lying on {his/her} back, and crying the way {name of the new baby} did. "Would I get lots of hugs and kisses if I acted like that?" {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} wondered... "I don't think so," {he/she} said to herself. "And I think that I would feel pretty silly."
At play time, {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} wondered about sitting in the middle of the floor and making funny little noises the way babies sometimes do. But it was just too embarrassing for {child's first name or nickname/namecalled}! After all, {he/she} was {name of the new baby}'s big {brother/sister}! Instead, {he/she} picked out a few books and a few toys from the toy box. They weren't brand new, but they were {his/her} favorites, and {he/she} had lots of fun with them.
"Being a baby is fine for {name of the new baby}," {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} said to {himself/herself}. "But I'm happy being a big {brother/sister}! And when baby {name of the new baby} gets a little older, we'll have lots of fun playing together. And I think {he/she}'s going to like having me for a big {brother/sister}!"
"There's a time to be a baby, and there's a time to be big. And every time can be happy in its own way," {child's first name or nickname/namecalled} thought. "I'm glad that this is {name of the new baby}'s time to be a baby. And I'm glad that {he/she} has come to live with us and we will grow up together!"
{child's first name or nickname/namecalled} {child's last name} Hope you enjoy this gift. {who this book is from}
