gift ideas for older child from baby?

[Sadie Lake]

A few of my friends have recommended having a gift ready for dd "from the baby" to help the transition. I'm kindof stumped on what would both be meaningful to her (she just turned 3) and what would be fun/exciting.

She just got a Plan Toys dollhouse from my inlaws for her birthday so I thought about getting her one of the "rooms" for it, but I don't know if that's meaningful enough.

Did anyone else do this? What kinds of gifts did you get?

Sadie

[SunCB]

For my neighbor's girls I had made them matching for the most part skirts since I had left over material from my skirt. The girls looked them. I had given their new brother clothing also. I felt bad bc the smallest skirt was not finished (needed to measure the waistband and sew it together then the small section of the waist where I left it open to put it in sewn) bc I needed a waist size since she is so tiny compared to my DS2 who is only a couple months older.

When DS2 arrived I had given him a blue baby doll of his own so he had a baby like Mama. Now, DS2 loves playing with the doll and even wears him sometimes. When the car seat came out for LO DS2 insisted that Brennon, baby doll, go in there and be carried that way for awhile.

I have given books also as gifts when the older ones like to read.

[trauerweidchen]

My parents gave me a "doctor" set when my little brother was born, but I was about 5 at the time. They had a tradition of "little brother" or "big sister" presents at birthdays after that, too, and I thought this was a sweet idea--so when my brother had a birthday, I'd also get a small gift to open, and vice versa.
I wish I had a good suggestion for your three year old, but I'm afraid I'm not sure what would be appropriate for her or what she would like, since I haven't had a three year old of my own yet...

[jeliphish]

DD2 (Maggie) brought DD1 an american girl bitty baby when she was born. When DD1 came in to see the baby for the first time, we had the gift ready for her to open. She was too busy being mesmerized by her baby sister to open the present at first.

[AlmightyIsis]

I got my son a puzzle from his baby brother last time. It kept him engaged at the hospital while friends and family visited. He *always* remembered his brother gave him that puzzle, so it was very meaningful for him. I'll do something similar this time around.

[ScootchsMom]

We want to get DD something meaningful, I just haven't decided yet. She is very in to bracelets and necklaces lately, so I'd like ot get her something like that. Kind of one she can play with, but keep for a long time as well.

[PTmorgan]

DS is 23 months old now. I've decided to give him a book about "I love you this much" from DH and myself. From the baby I'd like to get him a balloon - he's totally into balloons now. I'm also going to tandem nurse, and I keep telling him that when Baby comes he/she will bring LOTS and LOTS of milk. There will be plenty of milk for both of them! He looks really intrigued by this - my milk is barely there now.

[scrappingmom]

Originally Posted by PTmorgan

I keep telling him that when Baby comes he/she will bring LOTS and LOTS of milk. There will be plenty of milk for both of them! He looks really intrigued by this - my milk is barely there now.

Now THAT is a great gift from new lil bro/sis! lol i never thought to give the credit to baby last time.. i love that!


Definetely you'd want it to be something reflective of the childs likes an interest, girls that age especially will tend to want to do the same as mommy with "their" baby. do you have a wrap/sling? maybe a matching/similar one? or one with a color/character she loves? If you are CDing, maybe a little diaper bag with a few 'cloth diapers" and wipes?! I always give a special new doll to the youngest big sibling when a new one is coming/has come.

Of course you may have or be doing something along that line already from you and DP. maybe some play jewelry and a locket "only for special times" with a pic of her and new sib can be added after, then its a special gift she can show off "from baby sib". I think you can get a childs locket at most department stores relatively inexpensive($20ish?)

personally, my 3 yr old would insist on knowing HOW the baby bought a gift with no money and being in my belly, it couldnt reach out my belly button to play with her(lots of trying!) so how would it pick a gift?! but she isn't your typical kid lol, she over thinks the oddest things

If you have a digi cam maybe someone could run to a store and get a pic of new baby and DD printed up almost immediately apon them meeting and get a cute frame ahead of time, the "first pic" of them together could be a sweet gift from baby?!(i might use that idea myself! lol)

[CanBoo]

I've told DD about all the milk to come too. I told her that one night after we spoke about having to share nursing. She is much more inclined to share the boobs with a baby bringing her the milk

I have trouble with the idea of a present from the baby, since it just makes no sense and I do not want her to have false expectations of a newborn's abilities... She will wrap something for baby if she wants too because she saw it in "baby on the way"... But she normally has a lot of fun giving anyways.

I am making them a set of matching blankies, but they are from us, not from the baby.

However, I am planning to make her a big sister party! That idea came from a co-worker and I think it makes sense... Once we are back on our feet, we will invite people over, bake a cake, call it a big sister party and introduce the baby to some friends who will not have visited yet.

[ScootchsMom]

Originally Posted by CanBoo

However, I am planning to make her a big sister party! That idea came from a co-worker and I think it makes sense... Once we are back on our feet, we will invite people over, bake a cake, call it a big sister party and introduce the baby to some friends who will not have visited yet.

We're having DD's birthday party on June 20th, so it will be similar. All the focus will be on her for her birthday, her friend's are invited, etc, but it gives everyone a chance to meet the baby too.

[Max'sMama]

Originally Posted by Sadie Lake

Did anyone else do this? What kinds of gifts did you get?

We did. I think anything your older baby likes is fine. What we did....

When #2 was born, #1 made a puppy at build a bear for the baby.
#2 "got" #1 a Thomas the tank engine train for his train set.

With #3, the baby got a cabbage patch fairy for my doll loving first daughter and a bug box and butterfly net for my bug lover son.

They in turn picked out a 'captain huggyface' sock monkey for E (#3).

It doesn't have to be much but something is nice.

My mom did make a recommendation for me when I was pregnant with #2. Have a hidden box of small presents wrapped and available for the older ones for when baby gets presents and they don't. This did help us when baby would get a present and the older one wouldn't, kept him from feeling left out and unimportant. Of course he was 2.5 so his level of jealousy was slightly higher than that of an older child.

[Smithie]

I think the "nursery" set for the Plan dollhouse would be a good gift!

I got ds a doll sling and a baby doll when dd#1 was born - he had zero interest. DD#1 is much more interested in playing mommy, but I don't know if I could get her to play the game with a doll when there will be an actual baby to play with. I think they are both just so excited to hug and kiss and "coochie coochie coo" the baby that my gift to them will be allowing them to harass their new sister several times per day.

[JamieCatheryn]

I'd really wanted to get a Waldorf style baby doll for DS before the little sibling comes but we couldn't afford it (or the kit for me to make one). He won't miss it though. Would have been nice I know, because he has enjoyed helping me with the car seat, carriers, clothes, and cloth diapers, and testing them all on his more newborn sized stuffed animals.

[Misbehavedmeg]

We got my dd one of those playskool digital cameras. She likes to help take pictures and now she can take some of her brother when she comes to see us in the hospital. We are going to give it to her from him when they visit.

[Limabean1975]

I wasn't sure about this idea, but decided to go with it, and have bought a Fisher Price digital kid's camera for DS - he frequently uses our camera but that requires alot of supervision, and I think it will be fun to let him go wild with a durable kids camera!

I kind of want something for him to give the baby, too, but I'm not sure what. My parents, well-meaning, gave DS a rather large stuffed polar bear 2 weeks ago to "give to the baby". 2 problems with this - one, we already have wayyy too many stuffed animals, arrrrrgh!! two, DS is only 3...of course he loves the bear and has no intention of "giving it" to anyone!

[Still_Learning]

Not "from the baby", but a gift we'll be bringing home with us to give to DS to celebrate him becoming a big brother is teh Tag reader from LeapFrog. He's been wanting it for the last year and I wasn't crazy about it, but think it'll help keep him busy for the first crazy week or two.

[Limabean1975]

Originally Posted by scrappingmom

personally, my 3 yr old would insist on knowing HOW the baby bought a gift with no money and being in my belly, it couldnt reach out my belly button to play with her(lots of trying!) so how would it pick a gift?! but she isn't your typical kid lol, she over thinks the oddest things

Ha ha, mine too - I've already told him there will be a gift for him on the birth day "from the baby" and have explained that of course mom & dad picked out and bought the gift and so on - everything short of explaining what "symbolic" means!

[Limabean1975]

Originally Posted by Max'sMama

My mom did make a recommendation for me when I was pregnant with #2. Have a hidden box of small presents wrapped and available for the older ones for when baby gets presents and they don't. This did help us when baby would get a present and the older one wouldn't, kept him from feeling left out and unimportant. Of course he was 2.5 so his level of jealousy was slightly higher than that of an older child.

Oooh. This is something to think about.

[essnce629]

My son is obsessed with Legos, so he'll be getting a new Lego set as his gift. He also picked out a "Big Brother" shirt from CafePress.com that he's excited to wear after the birth and we got him a Sibling Memory Book from Amazon that he's had fun starting to fill out (it's for baby's 1st year and is geared towards 4-6 year olds).

[catters]

I think my son is pretty young still to truly "get it". I mean, I KNOW he'll know what the baby is when she gets here, but as of now, I think he just thinks mommy is fat. (and really cranky...) Soo, I got him a baby sling that is his size so he can wear his Elmo doll (which is about the size of a baby) as he likes to pretty much do everything I do. Also, I was planning on getting him a little play set or something like that. I've noticed his creative play has really amped up (he's 20 months) lately, so he might like that. I never thought about getting him anything sentimental, I think that might be more for me, kwim? This way, at least he'll have something fun to play with while mommy is figuring out this whole two children thing!