Preparing your child for a new sibling: before, first meeting & avoiding sibling rivalry (Dr. Becky)

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Becky Kennedy (Good Inside) for a conversation we are SO GLAD we had two days before welcoming baby #2. This episode is basically a crash course in all things new siblings, starting with how to prep your existing child(ren), what to do during the first meeting, and how to manage things once you’re finally home. First, she level sets something we think every parent needs to hear: the goal is not raising the world’s most thrilled big sibling on day one (because... that’s just not a thing lol). With that in mind, Dr. Becky shares practical tips (that take all of 15 seconds) to ACTUALLY help prep your toddler for a new baby. Then we get into the first meeting itself: hospital or house? Gift or no gift? Job or no job? And she covers toddler reactions during this intro that can feel super alarming, but are often completely expected. And then we get into sibling dynamics... what to do in those very glamorous moments when everyone is crying and nobody wants to share mom, and why trying to be “fair” can actually be the thing CAUSING sibling rivalry. So if you’ve got baby #2 (or 3 or 4) on the way, watch this episode. Or send it to a friend who might need it, because this one DEFINITELY helped us :-) Timestamps: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Two Parents & A Podcast! 00:00:37 Meet Dr. Becky Kennedy (Clinical Psychologist, Founder & CEO at Good Inside, & Mom of 3) 00:02:28 How perceptive are toddlers, actually? 00:07:00 One of the biggest disservices we do to toddlers when introducing a new sibling  00:10:35 Best practices for prepping siblings 00:16:52 Biggest mistakes when introducing siblings 00:19:06 Why understanding your own child matters most 00:22:25 Dr. Becky’s #1 tip for introducing a toddler to a new baby 00:24:37 The unfair expectations we put on toddlers 00:26:53 Hospital or house: where should siblings meet? 00:28:45 Should you give the older sibling a gift or a job? 00:33:45 Reactions that alarm parents but are actually normal 00:36:41 Expected behavior vs. cause for concern 00:44:38 What to do when both kids are crying 00:48:47 Why narrating to babies and toddlers matters 00:51:08 Good Inside Baby: first 24 hours home + partnership after baby 01:02:48 Shaping sibling dynamics for the long term 01:11:48 There’s nothing more important than repair 01:13:40 THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! #twoparentsandapod --------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you to our sponsors this week: *Hero Bread: Hero Bread is offering 10% off your order. Go to https://www.hero.co and use code TWOPARENTS at checkout. *First Day: Our listeners get up to 57% Off AND a Free Gift with code TWOPARENTS at https://www.FirstDay.com *Veracity: For up to 65% off your order, head to https://www.VeracityHealth.co and use code TWOPARENTS.   *Rula: Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/TWOPARENTS  #rulapod  *Bobbie: If you want to feed with confidence too, head to https://www.hibobbie.com for the formula trusted by 800,000+ parents. --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to the pod on YouTube/Spotify/Apple: https://www.youtube.com/@twoparentsandapod https://open.spotify.com/show/7BxuZnHmNzOX9MdnzyU4bD?si=5e715ebaf9014fac https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-parents-a-podcast/id1737442386 --------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Two Parents & A Podcast: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/twoparentsandapod TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@twoparentsandapod Follow Alex Bennett: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/justalexbennett TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@justalexbennett Follow Harrison Fugman: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/harrisonfugman TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@harrisonfugman Find our guest: Website | https://bit.ly/41U9It9 Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drbeckyatgoodinside TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drbeckyatgoodinside --------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House – https://www.justmediahouse.com/ --------------------------------------------------------------- Key words: Two Parents & A Podcast, Alex Bennett, Harrison Fugman, Dr. Becky Kennedy, Good Inside, preparing your child for a new sibling, first meeting with new baby, avoiding sibling rivalry, toddler and new baby, toddler jealousy, introducing a new sibling, prepping toddler for baby #2, sibling introductions, sibling transitions, hospital or house introduction, big sibling tips, parenting podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices