mami's advice

Papi, Dora, and I are getting ready to welcome a new baby, and we're all really excited for the arrival of our new family member. A new baby in the house is going to be a big change, and I wanted to prepare Dora (and Boots!) for it.

Here's what we've done to help get Dora ready to be a big sister.

Every night before bed, Dora and I lie down and Dora talks to the baby in my belly. Sometimes we sing Spanish lullabies and make up songs for the new baby. We tell bedtime stories to the baby, and sometimes Dora even makes up riddles and jokes and tells them to the baby.

A couple of times Dora has asked about where babies come from, so we've talked about the new baby animals in our town and how we once saw baby chicks hatching. It was a great way to help Dora understand that babies are helpless when they are first born and that they really count on their older siblings and family to help them along.

To teach Dora about touching and holding her new baby sibling, Papi made up a fun game where Dora holds her teddy bear, Osito, and pretends to hold its hand, touch its face, and give a hug or a kiss. This helps Dora learn which touches are good touches and which ones may be too strong for a baby.

When I was a little girl, mi mami told me the story of my birthday over and over again and showed me pictures of myself when I was first born. Dora and I do this, and she loves it! She loves to see how little she was and likes hearing that we were so proud to have her as part of our new family.

Together, Dora, Papi, and I made a family tree with a space for the new baby, and Dora is thrilled to give this as a gift to the baby when it's born. We also made a rattle together and I printed out a crown and a certificate so Dora can tell all of her friends she is going to be a big sister.