Older sibling gifts

[LiamsMommy31905]

Is anyone planning on giving their older child(ren) a big sibling gift? I am totally at a loss as to what to buy for my 4-year old.

He is absolutely obsessed with his baby sister and is convinced she is watching him through my belly button. We have a paper chain link-thing (almost like an advent calendar) hanging on his door to count down how many days are left until he can meet her. A gift to him from her would be the ultimate surprise.

Any thoughts/ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[mi.birthdoula]

We will be giving both our girls their first Waldorf Doll. I'm actually looking at kits today since it will be the first ones I've ever made. I figure that way they can have their very own special baby to take care of and it will also give me something to do to pass the time until baby arrives!

[Michigan Mama]

I want to do something special for my 2.5 yo ds, but I'm at a loss...

[ohiomommy1122]

I have never given my older children gifts from the baby but baby dolls and stuffed animals come to mind,or a big brother/sister shirt

we have recently taken all of the kids to build a bear workshop and let them make a stuffy for themselves because after the baby is born we were going to bring all the kids back to BAB and have them all pick out a bear to make for new baby and each put a heart in it for the new baby kinda opposite of what you were thinking but an idea

[puddleduck]

i was going to put together a little box of stuff for each of my boys from the baby. some playdough, pens, books with CD's, ball, snacks, comics, etc stuff to keep them amused while i'm nursing the baby too.

[mamadelbosque]

IDK, I've been thinking about getting DS a babydoll to give him when DS2 arrives, but haven't quite decided yet... Something simple-ish (like the old cabbage patch dolls maybe?? Any recommendations??)

[purplestraws]

I was thinking of doing a "nursing box" with a bunch of stuff that my 2-yr old could entertain himself with while I was nursing the baby. Easy puzzles, fun books, etc...

[aydensmama]

We will do this. A fun or favorite item. Not sure what.

For DS1 it was a big brother book and a toy he really wanted....

Not sure on this go around, but something.

[wombatclay]

DD1 was 26 months when dd2 arrived and she didn't really enjoy baby dolls at that point. Her "big sister/nursing basket" included:

--the complete Season One of the Muppet Show (I figured I'd be watching it too )
--a Melissa & Doug folding doll house and a little doll family
--a few playsilks
--coloring books and crayons

This time round, dd1 is 4 years old and dd2 is going to be 26 months (but dd2 loves baby dolls). Both girls have baby dolls they enjoy and both are excited about the new babe so the "big sister/nursing baskets" will have:

--the complete Season Three of the Muppets (we got season two during he past two years)
--a few Sesame Street DVDs (not sure which ones yet)
--baby sized cloth dipes and mini-slings for their babies
--coloring books and crayons

I'm thinking I might make them both "I'm the big sister" shirts but I don't know...
--coloring books and crayons

ETA- I really like the Waldorf dolls but DD1 and DD2 are totally uninterested. They both have lovingly hand crafted waldorf style baby dolls that they will play with/care for every now and then but they adore and love to death two plastic headed off the shelf baby dolls from Target. (they nurse them sling them, carry them all over, sleep with them, etc) So my only advice on the subject of dolls is to involve your little one as much as possible in the selection process. The "surprise" aspect of the gift wears off a heck of a lot faster than the time involved in crafting the doll.

[Spring Sun]

I think we will do the build-a-bear and maybe let him make one for the baby, too. Is that expensive? I have never done it bc I figured it was like $60 or something...

My sister made him a shirt with puffy paint that says big brother on the front and Elijah on the back. He is very proud of it.

I think we'll take him out to get some "busy" toys right before the baby gets here-you know things he can build, take apart, build again, so that he can entertain himself better when the baby comes.

best of all: we are getting him Grandma. Yes, Grandma is better than Santa. Grandma lets him drink pop and eat candy and chips and buiys him a new toy everyday. So, nothing we could do could out-cool grandma. Thank goodness she is coming a week before my due date. Hope it is soon enough!

[Raene]

Originally Posted by wombatclay

I really like the Waldorf dolls but DD1 and DD2 are totally uninterested. They both have lovingly hand crafted waldorf style baby dolls that they will play with/care for every now and then but they adore and love to death two plastic headed off the shelf baby dolls from Target. (they nurse them sling them, carry them all over, sleep with them, etc) [/I]

Ditto here. I myself went to Waldorf and had a gorgeous Waldorf doll that I took very good care of. When I passed it along to DD, who was 2 at the time, she had absolutely no interest. We are very anti-plastic in our house but baby dolls are the one exception. DD loves babies, even at 5 yrs old, and carries them everywhere...but they have to be the plastic look-real types, not the Waldorf dolls...very sad.

For DD we're tie dying and then painting her a big sister shirt with her handprint and the baby's. We're also getting her some arts/crafts type stuff, and those clear marker sets for the car so she can color without staining the seats with regular markers or poking her eyes out with colored pencils or leaving crayons to melt all over, lol.
We're also getting her a new plastic doll which she can choose after the baby is born.

[mi.birthdoula]

Originally Posted by wombatclay

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ETA- I really like the Waldorf dolls but DD1 and DD2 are totally uninterested. They both have lovingly hand crafted waldorf style baby dolls that they will play with/care for every now and then but they adore and love to death two plastic headed off the shelf baby dolls from Target. (they nurse them sling them, carry them all over, sleep with them, etc) So my only advice on the subject of dolls is to involve your little one as much as possible in the selection process. The "surprise" aspect of the gift wears off a heck of a lot faster than the time involved in crafting the doll.

Fortunetly both of my DD's like both the plastic headed and the handmade type of dolls. They both have a few of each, and play with them both non stop, but I actually had a better idea today....They are always wanting to play with my pillowcase doll that sits on my bed from when I was a little girl, so DH suggested that I get them their first pillowcase doll instead, so now I'm looking into that. They would probably like that even more since they know that its hands off on mama's doll, and they will then have something close to it of their own. So off to look for that now!

I also like the idea of putting together a nursing basket...I think I may do that too. I had never thought of something like that before.

[spiritedmama]

My girls are older 3 and 5.....They are getting into games. So, I got the older one the game with the checkers you drop in the board and try to get a pattern (at a loss for the name) and the younger one that elefun game where it blows butterflies in the air and she can catch them with a net...Hopefully, they(I) can do these things while nursing. I also got them books and an activity book that I can do with them while nursing. I am thinkiing of also putting together little books for each of them about their babyhoods with pictures and stories to read to them to help them feel special and special about being a baby ....and....again, things I can do while nursing!!! Oh, and maybe the big sister shirts, I will probably let them help design them somehow and they can wear them on the big day....

[chrissy]

We are going to get digital cameras for each of the oldest two kids, they're 7 and 4. They both LOVE to take pictures and I know they'll love to take them of the new baby.

I want to get something for Rowan, who's just a little over 2, but I'm not sure what. He has a few dolls and isn't too into them. I think he is still a little young for an actual Waldorf doll too, though he does have a Waldorf style baby.

[ohiomommy1122]

Originally Posted by Spring Sun

I think we will do the build-a-bear and maybe let him make one for the baby, too. Is that expensive? I have never done it bc I figured it was like $60 or something...

My sister made him a shirt with puffy paint that says big brother on the front and Elijah on the back. He is very proud of it.

I think we'll take him out to get some "busy" toys right before the baby gets here-you know things he can build, take apart, build again, so that he can entertain himself better when the baby comes.

best of all: we are getting him Grandma. Yes, Grandma is better than Santa. Grandma lets him drink pop and eat candy and chips and buiys him a new toy everyday. So, nothing we could do could out-cool grandma. Thank goodness she is coming a week before my due date. Hope it is soon enough!

the actual stuffed animals are only 10-24 dollars, its the outfits that you buy that can get expensive
, since grandma is coming have her take him LOL and make one for him and the baby

[LiamsMommy31905]

I love all these ideas!

I actually designed a big brother shirt for DS (I'm a huge digital scrapbooker just getting into hybrid projects) and uploaded it and ordered it on CafePress...here's the design:

Big Brother shirt

It's scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. I can't wait! I also designed one for the new baby.

Keep the great ideas comin'! Also, if you have pics of your big bro/big sis shirt, I'd love to see them!

[mamadelbosque]

OK, I totally hadn't thought of build-a-bear... that might be really fun for him!!

[dorenavant]

I second the digital camera idea, I've been looking into one of the "kid tough" ones for my 3.5 y/0 DD.
I did already buy her one toy from her perpetual wish list that will be from the baby, and a sticker book that I hope might keep her occupied for a few hours during my labor. She also has a "big sister" shirt that she can wear on the big day.

[samikashi]

We wanted to find gifts that would provide DS the opportunity to be even more involved with us adults, and decided the kitchen was a great theme! So we recently picked up a Learning Tower... along with a custom "Sugar Smock" from Sweet Marmalade that is in the making and a Camden Rose Rainbow Broom that is on the way.

[jojojojojo]

I think "the baby" is going to get my soon-to-be-2-year-old some Lego-type blocks. We actually already have them, they've just never been opened. She mentioned Legos last week, and next month may be the right time to bust them out and keep her busy.