How do I introduce a baby girl into a family of boys?

[inquisitive_1]

I have two boys, ages 3 and 1, and am expecting a baby girl in the beginning of January. I've explained to them that a new baby is coming and from what I can tell they both understand as well as they're going to at their ages. I'm wondering how other children in the same situation have taken it when the baby actually arrives and if it has made a big difference that the newborn is a girl. Any advice is welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Arwen]

I had two boys before I had a daughter, it didn't really make much of a difference. Except for wearing pink, I don't think it mattered much. The hardest part was being the third wheel, they had already developed a brothers bond and having the "baby" trying to follow them everywhere (it didn't matter if it was a boy or a girl) was simply annoying to them. The thing that really made a difference was that when she came home she arrived with gifts for them (really cool new toys) so she started out as an ally, not a rival.

She did end up trying to keep up with them, and has a skillset more common to boys (video games, climbing, etc) but also has a very feminine side, which I encouraged to remind her and the boys that she is NOT a boy, no matter how well she can keep up with them.

Now they are all teens, and the boys are casually protective of her, but they have a great relationship.