When did you tell your toddler there's a baby coming?

pebble_drum_46816 Jul 2026

Only the grandparents know so far. Our daughter is two and a half, very chatty, and repeats everything at preschool, so whatever we tell her, the whole class and the van driver will know the same day. Part of me wants to wait till there's something to see, because months are a long time at that age and I don't know what 'a baby is coming' even means to her. Her ajji thinks we should start now so she gets used to the idea. If you've done this with a toddler, when did you tell, and did it change anything?

3 comments

citrus_kettle_598416 Jul 2026
No toddler here, ours is our first, so I can't help with the main question. But my partner teaches, and she always says preschool teachers would much rather hear news like this from the parents than from a two year old at circle time 😄 So whenever you tell your daughter, tell her teacher the same day.
rose_veranda_332316 Jul 2026
from the school side: the class finds out either way. what helps more is consistency. the kids who cope best are the ones whose parents and teachers use the same simple words for it. pick yours before you tell her
bronze_rain_890816 Jul 2026
Our gap was bigger, so the elder one was six, not two. We told him early and regretted it a little, because the wait felt endless to him and he asked every morning whether the baby was coming today. With a two year old I think I would wait until it's visible, and then talk about it as something that happens 'after the rains' or 'when it gets cold' rather than in months. That said, her grandmother has a point. It shouldn't be a surprise at the very end either.