Haylie Duff Reveals How She Got Her Daughter Excited About Being a Big Sister: Princess Crowns

There’s no question about it: welcoming a child changes everything. But what about adding a second little one to the mix? Haylie Duff knows all about that shift.

When we spoke with the 35-year-old actress about her meaningful partnership with the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and Nonni’s, she admitted that getting her eldest daughter, Ryan (4), used to the idea of becoming a big sister involved a lot of tiaras.

Of becoming a mother, Duff said, “Everything in my life changed. Everything got turned upside down.” She noted that her social life and friend groups transformed, but she saw it as “the greatest change in the world.” Even her relationship with her fiancé, Matt Rosenberg, “grew in a way it hadn’t before.”

But once they were in the swing of things with Ryan, they got pregnant with their youngest daughter, Lulu (19 months), and Duff knew she had a big task ahead of her.

“When I first found out I was pregnant and that it was going to be another little girl, I started having conversations with Ryan about it,” Duff explained. “We read a lot of books about being a big sister, so she really takes pride in that role instead of feeling like something was taken from her. In a lot of ways, I was like, ‘Lulu’s for you!’ and it really has made for a beautiful relationship between the two of them.”

But, aside from books and encouragement, the Christmas Bell star admits that treats were super helpful in getting Ryan pumped for Lulu’s arrival.

“There was a lot of princess crowns brought to Ryan when Lulu was just born and a lot of princess dresses and extra treats to kind of make her feel like nothing had changed,” Duff recalled.

So what’s it like at the Duff-Rosenberg home now that Ryan is more in the swing of big sister-dom? “That queen still is number one, let’s be honest,” Duff joked. “She is the most incredible big sister, though. I’ve never had any moment with her that she said, ‘I wish I didn’t have a sister.’ She’s always been so happy to be the big sister. She and I bond over that a little bit because I was a big sister, too.”

Now that her girls are situated and getting along, Duff has had the chance to partner with an impactful cause. “As a mom, I have such a big place in my heart for people that [have been impacted by childhood cancer],” she explained. So, she’s working with Nonni’s biscotti to raise funds to beat childhood cancer with the help of Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

If you’d like to participate in their Dip and Donate initiative, use the hashtag #DipandDonate and tag @NonnisFoods and @AlexsLemonade with photos of yourself enjoying Nonni’s biscotti. The brand will donate $1 per social share to the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation through December 31.

Sorry guys, no princess crowns included.