Get her something she can keep forever. Maybe a really great “Baby’s First Christmas” ornament?
If you have Discovery Toys down there those are great… the catalogue is sorted into age groupings and has lots of toys that are educational and fun…
I admit to having a weakness for the toys for ‘older’ kids still from them… like the marble path and the Labrynth board game…
BIH Boy, if that’s your basis for judgment, then I am a terrible mother. I advocating stiffing our son for birthdays and Christmases, too, for every year until this last one. He got plenty from family, and wouldn’t know the difference. In fact, at the only birthday party we’ve held for him, we asked guests to not bring a gift. If they felt weird coming empty-handed, we said we’d take art supply donations for the local lower-income nursery school.
Now that he’s four he still isn’t at the point of counting up gifts and matching them to the givers, but he’s more fun to buy for now so I’m indulging.
Lynn, we have had both those books and read them to her before she was born, along with my favorite, Green Eggs and Ham. On a good day she can point to Mr. Knox and the fox upon request.
I have a new PC and use it as a stereo system. She likes TMBG. We limit her TV viewing.
Snoopy Fan, such ornaments would be for us not her. I hated that I got pretty things to stick on shelves year after year and my brother got toys. I wanted toys too! I bought a nice ornament to celebrate her first year, but I am not going to pretend it is for her.
I asked about toys because we are trying not to drown in them and get new ones for special occasions or when appropiate for development. For example, I recently bought her a zylophone because musical toys are suggested for her age. I am not so cautious about drowning in books and get whatever strikes my fancy. Last year I asked for Christmas for books that the giver liked as childen, not that they think I would like. I
Our son’s going to be 5 months at Christmas and I bought him one of those doorway bouncers. He’s a really active kid (well, as active as a 4 month old can be - he’s constantly kicking his legs and grabbing for stuff) so I think he’ll have a great time with it.
I also bought him a book (Blinky Bill) and a CD of children’s songs.
My husband bought him a pocket knife :eek: . That one’s going in storage until he’s about 18. The guys who are native to the county we live in all carry a certain brand and color pocket knife (yeah, we live in the South). My husband bought our son one so that he could have it when he’s old enough to handle it…we don’t plan to be living in this area for very much longer, so we thought it would be a good sort of sentimental thing for him to remind him of his “hometown.”
We got Michael (1 year, 1 month now) a Playskool toy that has various switches, knobs and buttons on it, and when you turn them, animals pop up… I don’t know what it’s called. I play Animal Security Council with him.
Erm, what?
Anyway, yes, I recommend that toy.
For the most part, I agree with Cranky and BIH Boy on the issue of Christmas and birthday presents. Aaron is so spoiled as it is at his birthday and holidays that there’s precious little point in getting him something from Mom and Dad.
Airman’s family goes completely crazy at Christmas. Last year, Aaron got two stacks of boxes that were taller than he was. My parents added more. This year, I told my parents to take what they would have spent on gifts and put it in his college fund. If they felt they must buy gifts, I suggested an AMEX gift card so we could get him stuff he wants/needs when he wants/needs it. Aaron’s gotten so much clothing that he’s never worn because he outgrew it before it was seasonally appropriate. (My mother bought him shorts that he’ll outgrow before summer, for example.) I’d rather have a gift card so we can buy him the clothes he needs when he needs them.
Robin
There’s no way we’re going to ask people to give us cash-equivalents as presents. Gifts ought to be something that reminds the receiver of the giver; a cash card does nothing of the sort. Giving a cash card says “I know I am obligated to give you a gift, but you’re not meaningful enough to me for me to figure out what I can give you”. The only people who can give cash-equivalent gifts are those who are not able to shop on their own (infirm grandparents and the like) and people who do not know you very well at all (mainly, coworkers).
Asking your friends and family to reduce their planned gifts to cash (either in the form of a gift card or as a “donation” to a college fund or whatever) destroys the spirit of gift-giving. There is only one exception, and it only applies at a funeral. One should not treat holiday giving as a means to acquire supplies (or funding) but as a way to cement social bonds.
No wonder our society is going to hell in a handbasket.
A pillow would be easier to make, certainly, and you could use all sorts of different sizes, shapes and textures of ribbon for the tags, some flat, some looped, some twisted. I made one for each of my kidlets, they’ve both found them to be brilliant.
Does she like to bang? I know you mentioned that she has a xylophone, how about a little Fisher-Price drum set? They’re a toy that has to be limited-access, for obvious reasons, but they’re good energy releasers.
Also, though your girl is only 8 months old, now would be a good time to think of a couple of toys which will help facilitate standing and walking skills, things that encourage her to pull up and things that she can walk with later, but can still hold her interest now. It’ll take a bit of shopping, and you know what holds her interests now, but it’s something to consider.
SanibelMan, Animal Security Council made me snarf my tea. Thank you for the laugh.
KellyM, thank you for the etiquette check. The idea of giving a gift card because that’s “better” for the recepient makes my stomach turn. It’d be nice if grandparents and extended family remembered things like seasons and the fact that kids grow quickly, but giving gifts isn’t and should never be reduced to a base financial exchange.
How about one of those dolls that has one shoe that buttons, a dress that zippers, something that ties, something else that buckles etc? My 15 month old loves hers.
An Excersaucer (stationary walker) is also a good idea. Again my 15 month old loved hers - I could leave her safely in it while I cooked dinner and talked to her but I wasn’t in danger on stepping on her. She used it until she started walking.
A whoozit could also be a big hit - if you’ve never seen one here is a link: http://store.babycenter.com/product/toys/by_age/0_6month/4485
I second the idea of a shape-sorter, there are sone really nice wooden ones out there.
A set of keys is always a hit, just go to your local hardware store and buy some keys, and put them on a sturdy ring.
Twiddle
That’s your choice, KellyM. For us, asking my parents to deposit the money they would have spent into Aaron’s college fund made a LOT more sense than asking them to spend money on toys we don’t have room for or clothes that he’ll outgrow before he even has the opportunity to wear. I’d rather “reduce their planned gifts” to his education than waste it on stuff he can’t use. The gift is still being given; it’s just being postponed for when he can use it.
Robin
MsRobyn, here’s a suggestion for all those toys you don’t have room for or clothes he’s outgrown: GIVE THEM AWAY. Regiving gifts has never been wrong. Bread cast upon the waters, and all that. If you don’t have a friend who can use them, donate them to a shelter, or a community center, or a charity resale shop.
Reducing the social obligation to give gifts to a financial transaction demeans the social process. The notion that doing so is acceptable accelerates the death of civil society.
Funny, Loren is wearing out some of her clothes (not surprising with 3 to 4 loads of her laundry a week) and none go without use. She has enough, but not too many. I make more when needed and buy some. I did make her one toy, a book of fabric swatches; she enjoys that too.
I suppose the difference is that we don’t ask our friends and relatives for anything for Loren. We are surprised and pleased when they give her presents. Loren has never been deluged with presents of any kind. We did give away an inappropriate gift, but thanked the sender and did not inform them we got rid of their present.
The whoozit does look like fun. So far the taggies are a definite yes. she does have a teether, but that looks like fun.
The doll that zips and buttons is a great idea. I think I will make one.
Kelly, let’s just accept that have differing opinions on gifts, OK?
As it is, we have to donate over $500 worth of clothing that Aaron has never worn. As in, the tags are still on. If my mother wants to spend money, fine. I’d rather her intended recipient gets use out of it.
Robin
Wait. Our society is going to hell in a handbasket because people give money as Christmas gifts?
Wow, I figured it had something to do with underfunded schools, overworked parents and a decreasing sense of personal responsibility. Guess I was wrong.
As for gifts for small kids, do something like my grandmother made for me back in the day: cover a piece of cardboard with felt and use coarse sandpaper and pictures cut from magazines to make a playset. The sandpaper lets the pictures stick to the felt.
Mods, Please close this thread. I thank those who offered gift ideas.
As you wish.