Becoming A Big Sister – A Bucket List

Now that we’re less than three months away from my due date with baby number two, our time with Abbie as an only child is quickly drawing to a close. While I think she’s going to take to being a big sister pretty well (but I could totally be wrong), I know she’s going to miss the one-on-one attention she currently enjoys. Since my sisters are significantly younger than me (the first was born when I was nine), I vividly remember the transition from only child to big sister, and I want to make it as smooth as possible for Abbie.

One of the things I want to do is to celebrate her last few months of being an only child with some one-on-one fun before her world changes, as sort of an Only Child Bucket List. None of these things are particularly extravagant or crazy, but I think it’s so important for Abbie to really know how much she’s loved and how proud we are to be her parents. Inevitably, she’s going to get less attention once baby sister is here, but for now, we can give her a little extra to fill up her tank.

Big Sister Bucket List - Five Things to do with your only child before they become a big sibling!

  1. Family Movie Date. Thankfully we did this back in June to see Finding Dory, but we may try to sneak in another one. It’ll be hard to go as a family once baby sister arrives, so a date as a family of three is the way to do it.
  2. Trampoline Park trip. This will end up being much more of a Daddy activity since I can’t jump right now, but Abbie LOVES these places and we’re lucky enough to have two very close to us.
  3. Big Girl Room Move-in. While this is slightly baby-related, I really want to make a big deal of Abbie getting her new room – setting up her toys in there, the decorations on the wall, and getting her settled into a new routine.
  4. Baking Day. One of Abbie’s favorite things to do with me is bake cookies, so we’ll bake a few big batches one day, just the two of us… and I’ll let her eat too much dough, as usual.
  5. A Daddy-Daughter Date and a Mommy-Daughter Date. Once this baby gets here, she’s going to be taking so much of our attention, and it’ll be hard for us to sneak away and spend one-on-one time with just Abbie. While it’ll be hard for both of us, it’ll be especially hard for me since I plan on nursing. I want to make sure before this baby arrives, each of us spends some special one-on-one time with Abbie – even if it’s something as simple as a Target trip and some ice cream.

Anything you’d add to my list that we should do with Abbie before she becomes a big sister?

About Jess

About Jess

Jess Beer is a full-time working mom of two girls who writes about motherhood, wellness, easy meals and style.

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20 Responses

  1. If she likes the beach take her while you can. Breastfeeding/bottles and the beach don’t mix too well. We were only able to do the beach without 2.5 year old and one month old with help .

    1. Well I’m nearing my “no traveling” time so probably not going to happen… we’ll just have to wait until we have help! <3

  2. I think your list sounds great! Really there isn’t much you can do to actually fully prepare her for the life altering change headed her way lol. SO just lots of love and attention is good 🙂

  3. Love the idea of a big sister bucket list! And the baking day is a great idea because not only can your two have fun together, but you could freeze a bunch of cookies for later after baby comes so you can enjoy them!! Win-win! 🙂

    1. Yes! I’m sure you could find things that fit just for his age range too, but some of them might even work at his age (I mean, every kid I know likes trampolines….)

  4. What a sweet idea!!! I love this! My daughter was only 15 months, but we did a little gift including a baby doll so she could feel included and feed her baby when I fed her sister, etc. sharing this with friends expecting their 2nd baby!

    1. Oh good! I plan on doing a big sister gift too, but I wanted to actually do things with her while I still could!

  5. Aww! I love that you’re focusing on Abbie and spending some quality time before baby sister comes along! I know you all will cherish those times!

I’m Jess! I’m a working mama of two sweet sisters living in the DC area. This is my space to share inspiration, real stories of working motherhood, recipes, style, and more! I can’t start my day without coffee and always try to show the real side of motherhood – the good and the challenging. I’m so glad you’re here – thanks for following along on my journey!

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