Gifts for older siblings??

[Jen H.]

Is anyone planning on a special gift for an older sibling for when the new baby arrives? I was hoping to do this, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not. And if I do it, what should I get? If I try to make it meaningful in some way, he's less likely to love it than if it's some sort of Spiderman gadget, for example. I just don't know what to do! :

Perhaps a really nice book and also a silly toy?? What's everyone else doing?

[ahdoula]

I have a basket full of dollar store toys and some toys from big lots, all wrapped up. Mostly small stuff, so they can have a little something each day for the first week or so, keep them busy you know? And a few bigger things for those really tough days! And then when the baby gets gifts, they can have something from their basket, so they don't feel left out.

[happymom83]

I put together birth/labor bags for my three kids.It has a snack,cup,notepad/journal,markers,stickers,2 small toys(dolls for dd,cars for ds's),oh a cuddly frog for each of them to sleep with,and i made them each a "taggie" blankie.they are going to stay at my moms after the birth for a few days,so they will be taking the bag there too.it was not that expensive at all.i got alot of the stuff at Dollartree.which really does have a good amount of nice things if you look.HTH! (it was alot of fun to put the bags together!)

[momuveight2B]

I do this too and attach a homemade card from the baby saying, "congratulations you are a big sister or big brother". This means a lot to my kids and they remember them years later. The funny part is they always ask how did the baby manage to go shopping and pick them out. I tell them I ask the baby and one kick means yes and two kicks means no. I give it to them when they meet the baby for the first time.

[manitobamama]

We are planning to buy these cute little fairy books we saw at the drugstore down the street. They will be the twins first chapter books! and there are sticker books that go along with them so if finances permit we may pick up 2 of these also.
If babe stays put for a few more days I plan to go to the craft store to pick up some fabric paint and some t shirts and either have them do their own big sister shirts as a craft project with dh after babe comes or do them up myself before hand.
The older dd's I'd love to do something for but I can't think of anything that would be super expensive. A fairy book and tshirt just won't cut it

[Mel L]

I am a year round shopper. My closet always has gifts that I found on clearance or that I knew B would love. He always seems to get too much from the grandparents so we usually don't give him that much at one time. He has really been into Cars in a BIG way lately so Bella gave him a playmat for his cars. We said that she wanted him to have something for her birthday. The mat has been in the closet since November.... I thought it was nice because he would have something new to play with during the endless feedings.

[wheatie]

i want to do this too..good idea on going to the dollar store. i think i'll go later when dh gets home, that way sam doesn't see me buy any of it!

[pilllowhead]

I would love to have gotten/made a proper doll so that Ds could do everything with the doll that I'm doing with baby, he even asked where his one, ugly old doll was that I got rid of (didn't really notice it). Instead I got him a family of little dolls and, sounds strange, but a wooden bridge to play with as his play often involves crossing rivers (my influence?)
I want them to be gifts from the baby as he has been keen to make necklaces, etc. for the baby as well

[PiePie]

i loved the doll my mom got me. check out the groovy boys, a language little, or the jules doll by corolle.

[ChelseaG]

I got a little newborn baby doll (on sale at Toys R Us for $4.99) - has a cute outie belly button, a diaper and a blanket - that way my DD can have her own special baby to nurse and change and take care of when our baby gets here...

[bdavis337]

Nothin'. A few family and friends like to brings gifts for the baby, and they always bring a book or toy car or something, so we aren't getting anything at all. I may put a few new things away to pull out when times are stressful, but they won't be big sibling gifts in that sense.

[trmpetplaya]

We found some cool new toys at various yard sales that we're planning on breaking out for dd when the baby comes

love and peace.

[jessjgh1]

I was able to pick up a doll at the Waldorf school with Josh. As it stood at the time, he was going to give his doll to the baby and he gets the new doll, but I"m not sure what he will actually want, so I 'm undecided whether I want to give it to him now and talk about it, or give it to him after the baby is here.

I also have a box of little things from here and there, although I suspect that family knows to eitehr bring no gifts or something for both.

Jessica

[AutumnLeaves5]

Yes, we have a couple of little toys we know our son wants packed in the hopital bag so when he comes to the hospital to meet his little brother he'll get gifts "from the baby". I've heard from other friends who did this they were quite glad that they did. I know that others who plan to visit shortly after the baby's birth plan to bring presents for both kids too, which I think is a good idea...

[meg-momto2]

my 3.5 yr old DS is having a "big brother day" when his sister arrives. we added a few toys for him to our Amazon.com baby registry and his grandparents got the gifts for him. we're going to have cake and ice cream too. he's excited and keeps asking when his sister will be here so he can have his party.

[jee'smom]

When ds was born, he "gave" dd a playdoh set (her favorite thing in the world!!!) and we gave her nursing dolls that I made (with a mom with velcro nipples) and a big girl and baby boy with velcro lips. the nurses LOVED it! For this time, Kalia got Jeanna "My little pony- sisters" (it's a regular sized pony and a lil sis), and a sister book. She got Peter a Spiderman- bumper car. I know he'll LOVE it! They got her a little activity doll that they picked out all by themselves- it meant alot to them to get her something. Funny story... Jeanna found the pony sister dolls and said that she wanted them. I lied and told her that they were for a friend's kid's birthday. She was like "Please mom, get me them!" I said, "Well, maybe Kalia will get you them b/c they are sisters." She looks at me and says "Uh, mom, Kalia's a baby, she can't get them." I said "Well, Jee, it's the thought that counts." She goes "Uh, yeah, ma, she's doesn't even know what ponies are." She's too smart to fool!

[100%mom]

I got my DD a book. She also got a book and teeter-totter from my Mom and a teddy bear from my MIL. She hasn't gotten to open the teeter-totter yet. I'm waiting for tomorrow when my husband is out of town. She does love the books and teddy bears though.

[bluebird68]

Great ideas, everyone! I made DS1 backpack to match his new bro's quilt (which DS1 wants!), and put in a metal tool set from a thrift shop (preschooler's size!), a couple of batman figures (we've been on the quest, as he loves batman after seeing one episode with scooby-do months ago), some fav snacks, and a disposable camera, all of which he will get when he goes to the hospital to see his bro. I thought it would be fun to let him use a camera and document what he thinks is important during that time (he doesn't get to use my good camera, that is for sure!). We may get lots of "interesting" shots, I would imagine... Oh, and we made some hippos, one baby and one bigger one, out of a cashmere sweater that we found at GOod will-- Eli's idea, of which he is really proud. Kids don't need much to feel happy sometimes, eh?

[Dreamer]

Well, I tried to think of things that he could do by himself, things he doesn't normally get to do all the time, that would be fun, that I could 'supervise' him with but not actually have to do it for him...

I picked up a plain wooden treasure chest at hobby lobby & some acrylic paint... his very own brush set and artists apron (sp?)... he's a big time collector (of all things! ) so I figured he could paint it up and then put all his special 'treasures' in there...I also got a few things to put IN the treasure chest, some thin wooden book marks that he can also paint, a book about pirates, a couple new outfits for his 'brother bear' from build a bear as he *really* likes changing the bears clothes (constantly) and I'm thinking this will be something good for him to do when I'm bathing/dressing the baby and stuff, he can work at getting his brother bear dressed and ready...

I've made a resolution not to buy him JUNK TOYS anymore, just so he 'has something' as he literally NEVER plays with anything that is in the 'toy' category (and I'm tired of buying just to purge everything a month later! ... He likes things he can do (and usually, that means "do with mom or dad") but now that he's getting older, and a lot more independent, I've been trying to keep him occupied with things he can do on his own too...

Alayna

[Emma's_Mommy]

my DD has her 2 babies that she got for x-mas (thanks aunt becky) and i think i am going to get her the graco baby accessories like the carseat and bouncie seat b/c DD keeps putting her babies in the bassinet and bouncie seat that we have set up in the baby's room!