SIX?! Yup! We’ve done a gender reveal for siblings quite a few times, and they honestly get more fun each time- the oldest kids are so much more aware of what’s going on and their reactions are huge! It was a different story the first time around when we told our son probably at about 12 months old that a sister would be joining him in 6 months… I don’t recall at all what happened but I’m sure he probably whipped a snack cup across the room and wobbly-walked away to find the dogs. But now, with ages 9, 7, 5, 3, and 1.5, their reactions are GREAT and they get the younger kids so pumped up for a new sibling.
Pregnancy Announcement For Kids
First and foremost, we’ve always been very lucky that our kids have responded well to a pregnancy announcement! I feel for any mom who has their kids run off in tears- I’d shed some hormonal tears myself I’m sure! So fingers crossed for ONLY good reactions.
From personal experience, a pregnancy announcement for kids is tough to keep hidden when you’re feeling miserable. If you’re one of those moms that “felt great!” during pregnancy, good for you, and we can no longer be friends. For me, being beyond nauseous 24/7 for anywhere from 14-22 weeks was enough for me to want to surrender on the ground holding up a sign that says, “I’m pregnant. I feel like garbage. Leave me alone.”.
But obviously, as a mom you have to snap out of it just to function during the day. Because Blippi and veggie straws can only cover you for 10 minutes TOPS.
Even though it’s easier once you let the kids know that you’re pregnant- it then explains a lot why you’re passing out in their beds during bedtime and holding your head over a toilet a good part of the day- a pregnancy announcement for kids can be a little tough before you tell them the gender. Kids want to know right away if it’s a boy or a girl, and telling them they need to wait weeks (or months if you’re surprising yourselves- how do you people do it?!), can be so tough on those little impatient minds! Heck, it’s hard for ME to wait to find out the gender, so a delayed gender reveal for kids can be rough! So my vote is for a pregnancy announcement for kids and gender reveal at the same time.
Gender Reveal For Siblings
I’ve never been one for a big “to-do” gender reveal, like having a huge party- who has time for that when your morning (all-day) sickness is in high gear (and when you’re on baby number 6- our house already feels like a constant party that goes on way too late). My style is more of the cute and simple gender reveal and putting in a bit more effort for the gender reveal for siblings- because we still want it to be something special and memorable for them! This last time was my favorite. We kept it simple, and a bit classy, and I baked a whole bunch of pink macarons!
My kids, like me, appreciate really good food and French macarons are always a favorite in our house for a sweet treat. Macarons are the perfect sweet treat for a simple gender reveal because:
1) they’re delicious
2) they’re pretty
3) they’re not messy
4) they can easily be made pink for a girl or blue for a boy (add a bit of food coloring)
5) they store well in the fridge
We’ve all seen a gender reveal cake or cupcakes done before, and although those are always a yummy treat, it’s hard to hide a cake from kids, or frosting can get smashed on cupcakes, or you need the extra effort of slicing the cake and making the kids wait, or you only have a quick minute to snap some good pictures before the kids’ faces are covered in buttercream.
I love making macarons and being able to store them hidden in a box in the fridge for a couple days if need be (I’m sneaky like that). Plus, macarons are just so darn cute!
For this last gender reveal for siblings we had them sit all together at one end of the table (where I know the natural light is best for pictures), I held a tray covered in a pretty dish towel, so they knew something good was under there, thus, eyes on me!
We had them guess what the news was, “Mommy is…” and of course our 7 year old daughter shouts “having a baby!”.
All the kids freak out with excitement over the pregnancy announcement, and I told them right away that we wanted them to be part of the surprise of finding out whether they will be getting a baby brother or baby sister- so they helped me uncover the plate of pretty PINK macarons.
“A GIRL!!” being screamed in excitement was a memory that I hope they will remember forever, I know I will.
It was a perfect, simple pregnancy announcement and gender reveal for kids. So much excitement and a delicious (and not messy) way to celebrate.
A few other ideas for a cute gender reveal for kids:
- A balloon drop of pink/blue balloons. We did this for our previous gender reveal for the kids and it was so fun to see their faces when a bunch of pink balloons fell from a “baby wrapping papered” giant bag outside. My flop- the bag and balloons were definitely staticky so I ended up having to shake the balloons out. So use a material that the balloons won’t stick to! It quickly turned into a pink balloon party in the yard with the kids running around and yelling, “It’s a GIRL! A baby SISTER!”.
- If it’s hot outside? How about pink or blue water balloons and make it a super fun water balloon fight of kids vs. parents after the siblings hear the news!
- Other delicious pink/blue sweets! Cookies, classic cake or cupcakes, strawberries/raspberries/blueberries with whipped cream (add a few drops of pink/blue food coloring; or do the same to yogurt to keep it healthier), etc.
- Decorate the kids bedroom/playroom with pink or blue balloons and streamers for when they get home from school/camp for a super fun surprise.
- If they’re old enough to read, slip a letter under the dog’s collar and have them read it together: “You are getting a baby brother/sister!”
There are so many cute and simple ways to do a gender reveal for kids and I’d love to hear your ideas! Comment below on what you did, how it turned out, and how your kids reacted!
And if you’re in a similar boat: CONGRATS on baby boy or baby girl!!
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