Christmas and hand me downs..

[ryedalema]

Having watched far too much Nick junior I'm already getting myself in knots about what to buy both DDs this Christmas. Eldest seems to be easy - she wants:

- a mermaid

- a pony

- a fairy

- and a princess (ahem - easy peasy I say in my best Veronica Salt's Mum's voice!!)

But smallest daughter will be 1 on the 23rd December and I've no idea what to buy her as, poor little hand-me-down kid that she is, she has more than enough of her sister's old toys.

Has anyone got any good ideas for what to get her? The age appropriateness thing is a bit negotiable right now as she's eating all her older sister's toys anyway, but not too many small bits and I'm trying (and failing miserably) to steer clear of the blatant branded/plastic offerings.

We've got jigsaws/walkers/trampolines/instruments - so really don't 'need' anything - but we can't not give her something for her birthday and Christmas - can we? Yes I know the box will be the main attraction - but any good ideas on what to put inside it?

Your idea always very very welcome. And sorry in advance for bringing up the 'C h r i s t m a s' word so soon in the year :) x

[snowboarder]

Will she really notice? We hardly gave little sb anything last yr when he was 8.5m as were in Oz visiting my sister - think he got a book and little train. For his 1st birthday he got a trike but it came in July rather than April!!

Suppose if big sister is getting a mermaid she might cotton on to the present thing earlier though...

[Fuschia]

At 1 she won't notice but older one will be surprised if father xmas misses her...

ours tend to get new supplies of things like play do, paint

I would get some elc cars etc etc....

[melbourne groover]

My son loved the Wow Ambulance and still does actually. It was my daughters orginally but he has pretty much appropriated it. He was forever shuffling around with one of those WOW people in his mouth (visible only by the feet.), nothing to swallow and the older ones use also. He particularly like putting the people in and out when he was little now whizzes them around.

The wow stuff is good and has varying price points (from around a tenner) and appears to be indestructible - important in our house... Just williams sells it or can get online. Or Ebay.

[ryedalema]

Aw thanks for the suggestions (and I promise we're not actually entertaining the idea of a mermaid etc - or their Barbie/Bratz etc counterparts) and I know she won't really notice. I think it's the '2nd kid guilts' as it's so easy to get eldest daughter new stuff (as it's new for us too) and littlest one seems to get the cast offs.

Also eldest daughter needs (another) course in sharing as her cast off toys are still 'hers' in her eyes (although she got bored of them yonks ago).

I'll look up the Wow stuff - indestructible = v. good here too.

[nunheadmum]

I've got exactly the same problem with 4.5 and 2.5 girls.....and at 2.5 she WILL notice if she's missed out! I think I've reconcilled myself to having to update some of our older toys or duplicate the things they play with most to avoid arguements. (Although obviously older sis will think she can requisition all the new stuff and give little sis the old ones...so maybe not avoiding those arguements after all!)

[pebbles]

I've got exactly same problem. Eldest son 3 and daughter 1 and it's not so much her as i know she won't care two hoots but for her birthday a few weeks ago my son was very aware that he had got more presents when it was his bday!!!

I'm going down the sharing route. I've made as a joint present a teepee and then grandparents are giving her a kitchen (however obviously son will play with it now and she will just take things in and out of oven over and over and over again!!) and then from us i'm going to wrap up all the different pots and pans and whatever that comes with the kitchen separately so it looks like she has lots and then also it means that son has to share everything with her!!!

I think it must be even more difficult for you as they are both same sex ie you can't do the obviously clothes for the future etc as she would obviously wear her sisters.

Oh the dilemnas and the expense!!!

Good luck

[marscapone]

I put away some of older childs toys as he grew out of them. I am planning on wrapping them up for no.2 - oldest thinks this is a great idea and no.2 won't notice. Of course the older one then rediscovers them and wants to play with them all over again but then it means the sharing goes both ways

I do the same with clothes...

I do buy the odd new present for no.2 as well - I'm not sooo mean

[helibell]

Similar - son nearly 4, daughter 1 on xmas day. I figure she won't notice at all & we're going to have a 1 and a half celebration for her in the summer.

what do other people do with xmas babies, i wonder?