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

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

From Two Parents & A Podcast by Just Media

April 27, 2026 · 1h 16m

About this episode

Dr. Becky Kennedy shares practical tips for preparing children for a new sibling and managing sibling dynamics.

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…

People in this episode

Host: Just Media

Guest: Dr. Becky Kennedy

Topics covered

  • new siblings
  • preparing children
  • sibling rivalry
  • parenting tips
  • family dynamics

Keywords

  • new sibling
  • toddler preparation
  • sibling rivalry
  • parenting advice
  • family dynamics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Good Inside

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