Safe Child, Happy Parent – Luckily There Are Siblings!

We're lucky to have siblings!

Getting a sibling is an exciting thing… but sometimes a sibling  also brings all kinds of different feelings with it. At first, Mira was so excited when her new her baby brother came home with her parents, but her excitement quickly turned to frustration. "Mom and Dad are constantly tired," Mira tells her friends at school. "And whenever they aren’t tired, they have something to do: change diapers, feed the baby, put him to bed, dress him, undress him, rock him, cuddle with him, and worry when he cries for a long time. And no one has time left for me. It totally stinks!" "I know all about it," Hannah tells Mira. "For us, it was exactly the same when my little brother was born. It's very normal." Hannah has an older sister and a younger brother. Paul has an older sister. Amelia has a big half-brother and a big half-sister. And Theo is an only child and is happy to keep it that way.

In Dagmar Geisler's I'm Glad I Have Siblings, readers will meet a number of children with stories about how frustrating but fun having siblings can be. With help from her friends, Mira realizes that her parents are doing the best they can and that taking care of a baby can be challenging and rewarding at the same time - and that they still love her. The friends discuss the benefits of being an older or younger sibling, and how being in the middle means they can choose which group (older or younger) they want to be part of. Siblings make life more interesting, Mira's friends explain.

I'm Glad I Have Siblings gives parents, grandparents, and caregivers the opportunity to speak with children about welcoming a new baby into the house and preparing to be the best brothers and sisters.

• Sensitively written and illustrated by Dagmar Geisler
• Approaches difficult and important topics in a sensitive manner