Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site linus.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!peg From: peg@linus.UUCP (Margaret E. Craft) Newsgroups: net.kids Subject: books for future siblings, and 2-year-old hospital visits? Message-ID: <1216@linus.UUCP> Date: Sun, 30-Dec-84 21:47:48 EST Article-I.D.: linus.1216 Posted: Sun Dec 30 21:47:48 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 1-Jan-85 05:41:47 EST Organization: The MITRE Corp., Bedford, Ma. Lines: 30 My second child is due any day now, so this may be too late to get me any real help, but it is also to register a gripe: I looked at many bookstores for a book for my 2 year old daughter to help prepare her for the arrival of baby #2. ALL of the books I found were about a BOY getting a baby SISTER!! Does that strike anyone else as odd? And I'm talking about 8 or 10 books! Now, maybe it isn't important, but my 2 year old is pretty literal, and a book about becoming a brother when she KNOWS she's going to become a sister, just won't do. ESPECIALLY when the brother is getting this helpless little SISTER - "her" role-word! I settled on a Sesame Street book about Herry Monster, since I can read it "wrong" and get by with that (it is hard to tell the sex of those monsters!). If I had had time (the lament of all working mothers!) I wouldn've written one myself!! Another issue I have yet to decide: should a 2 year old come to visit mom in the hospital? I asked about 8 people how their 2 year old reacted when they DID visit, and 3 of them had horror stories. Intestingly, all three were working mothers! I'd have guessed that kids of working Moms would handle it better, but then all had major problems "leaving Mom behind". Of the other 5, only 2 were positive - the other 3 were "didn't seem to matter one way or the other". Anyone else want to add to the data pool? Maybe I'll be late enuf to use the advice!! peggy craft