You know how it goes, your bestie just had a baby, it's her second, and you want to bring the new babe a gift. Such cute things to choose from when it comes to buying for the baby... and then you remember... the big sibling. You gotta get a gift for the big sibling! It's customary. Whether it started being the case because you don't want the big sibling to feel left out, or the big sibling deserves to be congratulated on their new role, the world may never know, but it would be rude NOT to get the sibling a gift, right? But what?
I am an enthusiastic gift giver, a passionate de-clutterer, and a mom who is up to her eyeballs in toys! When friends ask what to give big siblings as a gift, I have but one answer, "books." I have never once heard a parent say, "we have too many books!" I have, however, heard the refrain, "THERE ARE TOO MANY TOYS IN THIS HOUSE!!!!" Mostly I've heard that from myself, but I have faint memories of hearing it at my house growing up and the homes of my friends. I'm not anti-toy, for sure! I am guilty as charged in the area of buying toys for a big sibling, but I'm trying to recover from that, and find new and exciting ways to honor the big sibling.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the routine of buying gifts that we forget the occasion and the intent behind the gift. For me, giving the older sibling a gift is a way of saying, "you have a new responsibility, I'm excited for you, and whether you realize it or not, you have just grown up a whole lot." I've been trying hard to select gifts befitting of that message.
Do you have a go-to sibling gift? Or do you forgo the big sibling gift altogether?
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I always get the Book/stuffed toy combo from Kohls that benefits the Childrens Network-then they can read the book to the new sibling and still get a little toy.
ReplyDeleteWhen my second child was born, I did get a few gifts for my older child. One cousin bought him a book about Grover taking care of a baby. Another cousin brought him a little self-contained play-doh set that could keep him occupied and quiet during nap times. And my sister got him a T-shirt that said 'Big Bro'.
ReplyDeleteOf course, those were my favourites. My son's favourite? The 3 Hot Wheels cars that my brother got him. The women went for things that were related to the baby's arrival. My brother went for something that was just related to my son, and his interests. My brother wins.