Big Sister Gift Ideas???

When I had my second daughter, I bought a doll for her for when her sister was born. Then, when she would do something to help me, I gave her a little gift like a doll bottle or doll outfit to help her take care of her baby like Mommy was taking care of hers. When their little brother was born, I found out that the local hospital offered Little Sister/Little Brother classes. I signed both of them up and they LOVED it! They were well prepared to be big sisters and looked forward to the new baby. They also got cool t-shirts!

Howdy!
This may be a little pricey but a charm bracelet or necklace with a big sister charm from James Avery would be cute.
Congrats,
A.

You have got lots of great e-mails with gift ideas. Maybe you could get her a locket and put a pic of her as a baby and one of her new brother. You could have in engraved with something special and she will be able to keep it forever. She might not understand the value of it now, but she will as she grows up!!
Congratulations on the new baby!!

Ours were 6 1/2 years apart, big sister with a baby brother coming along also. I shopped at "Hello Kitty" which was her favorite at the time. I purchased three gifts and wrapped them and put them away in the closet. When we brought home the baby brother she was fine, but as people brought meals/ gifts we could tell she was jealous. We gave her one gift per day at a time when she and I could be alone and play/cuddle together. One gift was a red "Hello Kitty" jewelry box, one gift was a large stuffed "Hello Kitty" and the last one I can't remember. She was thrilled with the one on one time and attention. Several of our friends brought gifts for her also when they came to visit. Hope this helps!

How about something big sister can keep and add to...... We have 9 years between our 2 angels. Little brother bought big sister a James Avery Charm bracelet with the big sister charm, he now adds an extra charm to it on their birthdays, so it will always be something he gave to her.

I just had a a son in november and I have a 8 yr old daughter so I know how you feel. We planned a day before the baby came that was just about being the 3 of us before the baby came. We took our daughter to build a bear and she picked her own thing out and she also picked something out for the baby and made it herself. So that way she was able to take both of them up to the hospital for her and her new brother.Than we went to wal-mart and she wanted to pick out a few things for the baby, her choice. So that way she felt like she was getting stuff to for the baby. We also got her a t-shirt that said i'm the big sister. She loved that she still wears to school showing everyone that she is the big sis. While she was picking things for the baby with dad i went and got her afew things and a bag to put them all in. Like coloring books and crayons, a book, and a new toy. I also stuck a disposable camera in there that way she could take her own pictures. When the next day came to go to the hospital. After we got there we gave her the bag. she loved it, but she loved the camera most off all. Because when she was done with it, it got develpoed and she got to take those pictures that she had taken of her new brother to school to show all of her friends. Good luck

Hi R.!
What a coincidence. I am expecting mine in July also!
I think a scrapbook or an every day display board would be adorable. Go to my website which is www.mycmsite.com/caraobi. There are many scrapbooking things there that would be a fantastic idea!

C.

Have a shirt made that says I'm the Big Sister and buy her a disposable camera, or a cheap camera and some film. Let her take pictures of her brother and also make sure to include her in putting his nursery together. You may also want to buy some books which she can read to the baby. Most of it sounds like you are making sure she doesn't feel left out and that's very important. Best wishes.

There are some great kids' books on becoming a big sister to a new baby.
One that my daughter received as a gift was Emma Gets a New Baby Brother.
You could look on the internet for other books and read them with your daughter or in the bookstore. There are lots of cute ones.
Congratulations!
D.

R.- what i did when my daughter was born was i had my mom take my son to the gift shop. she then instructed him to pick out a stuffed animal for the new baby. after careful consideration he did. then before they left she told him to then pick something for himself out.

My oldest daughter was 6 1/2 years old when her little sister arrived. I got her a playscape - she totally new it was her baby present

THe dynamic has been good - about day 3 she was a little sad and said Grace had all my time, so I pointed out Grace was a baby and that she had had even more 'all my time' when she was born and that it was part of the package of being lucky enough to have a sister. She has accepted that completely. Occasionally she talks about 'when it was just she and I' but always ends it with - but I'd rather have Grace.

Congrads

You should do the big sister shirt. You can get some locally but if you do a search on the internet there are some sites that have many individuals that sell these shirts at a reasonable price. And you would have a variety to choose from. We got one for my friend's 10 year that said Big Sisters Rock! And one for the baby saying I got my good looks from my big sister.

Congrats on your new addition.

I come from a big family and we have dealt with this many times. we learned from our mistakes and what works and what doesn't work. When we get a new addition to the family, we all know that if the big sister or brother is very young such as yours, we will take them a gift along with a gift for the baby. This does not make the older sibling feel left out or ignored. Also, during our visits, we include the older sibling in our interaction with the new baby.

-a tiny pair of diamond stud earrings
-remodel her room with new sheets and a new rug
-take her to get a pedicure just before the new arrival

CONGRATS!!! How wonderful for you!!!
You definitely must do the "big sis tee"!!
I thought maybe you could buy her a disposible camera or two. We all know some of the shots may not come out so great but, just think of the ones that do!!! You could also get her very own photo album that belongs just to her. She can put all of "her" pics of baby brother in there. Then on those first days home when everyone comes to see the baby, she'll be able to "show off" her handy work.
Also, you could get her to draw a picture from her to her brother. You could make like you 'need' this. It will make her feel very impotant. This drawn picture can go in the baby book. Wont that be fun to look back on when they are in their teens!!!
Much luck to you and your family!!! May you have a safe and easy delivery!!!
Margaret:)

Our daughter had been given a few things. One is a James Avery charm braclet. They do have a big sister one. Its something special she can wear to special events and such. The other is a tee shirt. Something fun to wear to the hospital or out with the family. We just had our 3rd baby 5days ago. We plan on having friends and family for a big sister/big brother BBQ. Party and a few gifts to let them know its not JUST about the new baby.

I had my son when my daughter was just about to turn 6. We made her a big sister shirt which she still loves 3 years later. I took her with me to one of my prenatal exams (not one with anything icky) so she could see what was going on and ask the doctor questions. She spoke to the baby alot while he was still in my belly so when he was born it wasn't as if a new person just showed up in the family. She helped with lots of things like packing my hospital bag and choosing registry items. Then, it turned out that my coach was unreachable when we left for the hospital and she ended up taking turns with my husband being my breathing coach. She did a great job and she loved being a part of everything.

How much are you willing to spend? My liitle girl (almost 6) has wanted several things recently. On the pricey side, there is a Barbie Girl MP3 player that comes with a code for online games ($46.00). At Barbiegirls.com they can decorate an apartment,buy clothes, etc. Only with the code that comes with the player, can they buy certain outfits and pets for their virtual dolls. They do a very good job of controlling chat and no innapropriate words or phrases are allowed, but girls can interact with each other.

Littlest Petshop VIP pets are only $12.00 at walmart and also have a "code" for online games and virtual pets. Littlestpetshop.com

My daughter loves High School Musical. We are re-doing her bedroom with a theme...maybe you can "update" big sister's room to reflect her "big girl" tastes.

Or you can buy her some books that she can "read" to the new baby. Although the grammar bothers me (it is written like a kindergartener may speak) Junie B. Jones books are age appropriate and fun to read.

Good luck and great job thinking of a big sister gift...you are a good MOM!

Hello R.,

When I was expecting my first born - who is now 7 years old- my twin brother bought me a necklace with a diamond cross on it. Maybe you can find a nice charm bracelet that would have a locket on it with her picture and eventually your little boy's picture. Just a suggestion. I have never taken off my necklace. I truly treasure it - because it came from my brother. We are very close - but I was still very surprised.

R.,

We did the big sister/little sister t-shirts, but what was even more special, was the time that I set aside, just for her and I to spend together. A week or two after her little sister came home, my husband watched the baby for an hour, so big sis and I could go get our toenails polished together. It was a special reminder that mommy still adores her and loves to spend time with her, even though little sister takes up a lot of that time. She LOVED it, especially when they added the flower decorations on her big toes!!! We still sneak away and get it done now and then. :-)

Congrats, and best wishes!
M. F

Give her her childhood. It may sound weird at first but, I am also a big sister. It didn't take long before my parents began "volunteering" me to babysit my younger siblings. I was constantly told to "keep an eye" on my little brother or sister. As a result, if anything went wrong, guess who got the blame. I couldn't enjoy any "carefree" time while at home because it was assumed that I was more of a live in nanny. However, I was a kid too. Don't get me wrong. Include your daughter in the care of your son. Just don't expect it of her. She'll go through her phases of wanting to help and wanting her own time. It is important to respect that.
As for material things, I had a t-shirt (I still have it actually) that said, "I'm the Big Sister!" on the front with my name in fuzzy letters on the back. I wore it with pride until I couldn't fit it over my head anymore! :)

This is such an important thing and you are smart to think of it ahead of time.
I think the t-shirts that say "Big Sister/Little Brother" would make her feel extra special. But have your daughter give the "Little Brother" shirt to the baby.
Also, when I was given a baby shower for my unborn daughter some of the party goers also brought small inexpensive gifts for my son. It kept him from resenting the baby getting all of the attention and special treatment.

Of course there are the obvious "big sister" t-shirts and
other items she could wear, and be proud of. But, something to help her feel included that we did...
we purchased several disposable cameras with a flash, then everytime there is an event like a special doctors
appointment, the baby shower, decorating the babys room, right up until the birth, and bringing the new baby home, let her take pictures all on her own. They are inexpensive to develop, and I guarantee you will get some surprises! Children take really good pictures, and from quite a different perspective than we do! Then she can make a scrapbook (or if that would take too much time, just put them into a simple sleeve album) and decorate the front. She will feel proud that she made the baby's first "real" photo album. Make sure someone takes a picture of her and the new baby to include towards the end.
Hope you get some good ideas!

We got our daughter a new doll and she pretended to nurse while I was nursing the baby and put her baby to sleep when I did. She loved it and still plays with it.

You've got fabulous ideas here. I particularly like helping her make a t-shirt with puffy paint :)

I got my daughter a baby doll that I gave to her as soon as we came home from the hospital. That way, she had something to occupy her that still allowed her to participate while I paid attention to her baby sister.

The best advice I can give you is everyday compliment her on what a wonderful big sister she is and on how much her new little brother loves her. Let her know that they will always be the best of friends. I have 3 boys. The youngest is 15, middle is 18, the oldest is 24, but they are very close. When they were young, I always told them how much they loved each other and how they were best friends. Brainwashing does wonders.

I purchased an "I'm the Big Sister" book for my daughter when my son was born. We filled it with pictures of them from the first days of my son's life. There were spots in the book about how much he weighted, where my daughter was when he was born, what she wanted to teach him, what she looked forward to having a brother, etc. She carried it around with her as like a brag book so she could show people the new little person in her life.

Congrats! My girls picked out something for their baby sister and wraped it up and brought it to the hospital when the baby was born. They did not know that I had gifts for them too! I gave them each a special stuffed animal and had some neat snacks packed in my bag as well. I liked the camera idea someone gave, that was neat too.

When we had our latest addition 2 years ago, we gave our two older children engraved photo albums from Things Remembered. Their ages were 7 and 10 1/2 at the time. That way they could have something personal from us and also a place to put cherished memories.

Congratulations on your new addition!

What about buying a necklace with a "sister" pendant on it? You could probably find one at Walmart or most jewelery places. The day of delivery you can give it to her.

When my second child was born, we purchased a gift for the older one. It was something he really wanted and we spared no expense. We told him the gift was from his new brother and that he could not wait until he can show him how to play with this. He was thrilled and talked to everyone about how his new brother gave him the best gift ever.

I would go with something your daughter really wants and make a huge deal about it. Just knowing her new brother has already thought about her and wants to see her is such a huge thing for the older one.

Congratulations!

You've gotten a lot of terrific ideas already so I don't really have anything to add about gifts. But I did have a friend in a very similar situation (age spread and gender order) and she did something rather cool. Soon after her baby brother was born, the big sister hosted a party for her friends to come see who gave the title of "Big Sister". She sent out invitations, decided on the menu, greeted the guests, etc. They had 6 yr old activites (jumping castle) and the little girl just beamed the entire time, showing offer new baby brother. It was very sweet.

Well, we did something similar. My son was almost 4 when baby sister came along. As soon as baby arrived, "dad" gives our son a train (from the Thomas the Tank Engine set he loved at the time!) and says the train is from his new baby sister. He thought that was cool that the baby brought him a gift! He even stood in front of the big glass window staring in at her and said, "thank you for my present!" :o) Color with the big child that day....any little bit of time spent with the older one is nice. We had an Aunt who took our son over to the zoo, which was nearby.

Congratulation, R., on your incoming bundle of joy. When I had my second son (5 years after my first), I bought him and his stepbrother a badge ribbon that said "I'm the Big Brother" from Hobby Lobby. There were "I'm the Big Sister" badges also. It was inexpensive and made them feel very special. It drew enough attention to them that they felt included in the occasion and gave them something to say to everyone who came to see their new little brother so they were congratulated as well. My boys are now 13 and they still have those badges on the cork board on the wall in their bedroom.

Congratulations to you and your family. A baby is the most precious gift you can ever receive. Get your daughter stuff to start a scrap book, let her document all the babies achievements starting at his birth. Also a daily journal. Of course you will have to help her with this one, but the scrap book she can do on her own by being as creative as she can be. It will show her how she has evolved during the years. You will be giving her your "special" time by working with her daily on her journal, so she won't feel left out. Also when the baby gets older he can see how his big sister thought of him and how proud she was of him whenever he did anything. This will also help him when he starts school, because the teachers always have projects for them to do about their acheivements as they were growing. Don't forget to get the newspaper the day the baby is born so he will know what was happening in the world when he was born. Hope this helps and again congratulations and good luck.

Angie

There are sooo many cute "I am the Big Sister" outfits all over the place. There is a huge sale at Fabby Darling and you can find stuff at babiesrus too.

When my son was born, we found a t-shirt in the hospital gift shop that said "I'm the BIG sister" for our three year old daughter. She still loves it and that is after two and half years.

get her anything she'd want as a gift....but make it a gift to her from the baby!

I would start with making "Big Sister"/"Little Brother" t-shirts. We did this for each of our additions (my 1st was 6 days away from turning 7 when the next one arrived). We bought Plain white shirts from the craft store (white onesies also) as well as baby themed sponges and a bunch of cute fabric paint. I wrote "I'm a New BIG BROTHER" on one and "I'm the Little Brother" on the other. Then I had my oldest do handprints on each shirt as well as doing the sponging. Once my little one arrived, I put his footprint on each shirt/onesy to make things easier. Grandma STILL loves her shirts. The kids wore them for a month or so after the birth and then they were placed in their keepsake boxes. The "Big Sister" shirt can be put on right after the birth to make things even more special for her.

As for special gift, what about a special pair of "Big Girl" earrings or necklace? My kids just got toys but there are not as many sentimental gifts you can get for boys.

Another idea, with the help of support people would be to have her there for some of the birth. Possibly even cutting the cord, while dad "catches". Sorry, this is the Doula in me coming out, but my husband caught our daughter and wishes he had done it for the boys as well.

Congratulations!!

When my second daughter was born, I had my mom take my first daughter to Build A Bear to make a bear for herself and for her new sister. She loved it! She had a great time and was so excited to give her new sister her first teddy bear.

Good luck!

A. D

We bought a nice bracelet for my daughter who was six when my son was born and it was from her brother when she got to unwrap it. She also got a new toy (doll and diaper bag) to take with her to the hospital. She loved the bracelet after her brother was born and she was in the room and we pulled it out of the hospital bag and said look what your brother got you. Keep her a part in this big event. But also remember to do something just you and her or just dad and her.

A Little about me
35 y/o have one daughter Lindsey 7 almost 8 year old, one boy Luke just turned 2. Stay at home with kids been married for 13 years worked till last 4 years.

The best gift my daughter got when my son was born was a digital camera. I did not get an expensive one at all. You can find them in all price ranges. This allowed her to take pictures of the event, feel like she was a big person, and the pictures she took were wonderful. I loved seeing her view on everything around her. Hope this helps.

Does your daughter like dolls? I would suggest a beautiful baby doll with all the accessories, such as blankets, baby foods and plates etc. She might like some real baby stuff too. I remember when I was about seven years old, my next door neighbor had a baby girl, and then ,about a year later a baby boy. My friend Maryanne did not like to play with dolls, so her Mom gave me the little clothes and blankets for my baby dolls, as the real babies outgrew them, and I played quite happily for hours. This is one of my fondest memories and I am 58 years old. J. K.

Hi! what I did with my four year old was.. well I went to babyUSA and bought her a " I'M THE BIG SISTER " shirt. Also, she took a class on how to care for her baby sibling and recieved a certificate and t shirt. I went to St.Joseph for that. She also helped me with the baby shower and passed out the little souveniers.

Hi, R.--

I was 8 when my baby brother was born, and I think it's great that you are thinking of your little girl as a partner in the "big event." I have a wonderful memory of my mom's baby shower; a friend had made a beautiful blanket for my brother (full size) and a tiny replica of it for me and my favorite Cabbage Patch Kid. It felt really special that I could be "just like Mom" with our matching blankies and babies. It was a gift I'll never forget, and the thoughtfulness of it still touches me to this day.

Anyway, just an idea...have fun with your big girl and your little munchkin!

Check out Bloom Maternity, they have Big Sister t-shirts, scrapbooks for the Big Sister to be so that the focus is on the current sibling, not the sibling on its way! There are also cute announcement cards that feature the big sisters picture announcing she is going to have a new baby brother. There is a website, http://www.bloommaternity.net and there is also a "perk" floating around Mamasource with a discount coupon!!

Lovely ideas from other mothers!!

I gave my eldest daughter " I am big sister" book, T shirt, and scrapbook. We took her to sibling class before birth! It was fun for her to learn with her newborn sister.

I got her a present after birth from her newborn sis "Big Sis" charm with braclet from James Avery. She LOVES it!!!

what about a baby doll . . . . one of the really special ones that are kinda heavy so they feel real; I'm not sure the name but I know there are a few companies that you can customize them; hair eyes and so on
Ill keep looking to see if I can find the name for you.

Since it is often believed that baby showers are only for FIRST BORN, my family has often thrown "Big Sister (or Brother) showers for the older sibling. That way you still get some necessities for the new baby (diapers, outfits, etc.) but your daughter gets to open them and everyone can gush about how she can help mommy while using the new gifts. Sibling picture frames, picture books (for the big sis to read to the new baby), etc. are also good gifts. The big sis should wear a "I'm the big sister" shirt and the cake can even say "Congratulations, (child's name)...you're going to be a sister!" It's always been a big hit and really really made the big sis or brother feel super special when all of the attention is so often paid to the newest arrival! GOOD LUCK and Congrats on number 2!!

I'm sure you have heard of the Build-A-Bear workshop. For a girl who is 6 yrs old and waiting on baby brother to jion her, here is my suggestion as a perfect gift. Before the day your son is going to be born, go to one of these stores without your daughter, just you and your husband, and pick out an animal that your daughter will love, have it stuff and tell them you want a recordable sound for the animal. But tell them you are going to take the sound with you to record later. They can close up the animal, where the stuffing wont come out, but where you can open it later to put the sound inside. While you are there however, have them show you how to close the animal for good after you place the sound inside of it. Make sure you take this sound box and the animal with you to the hospital. When your son FIRST arrives (you may have to make your self a big note or put it on your who to call list) record your sons first cry and then place it inside the animal, seal the animal up and put in a pretty gift bag with a tag that says" to the best big sister ever". If your lil girl is anything like my boys were, they will love to listen to this over and over again for the first few days, then they will get to where they just want to cuddle with it while they are with they new sibiling. And if you don't want to have the cry on there, have one of the nurses, record the new brothers name, weight, height and time and day of birth for her to listen to. Be creative, but girls love animals and what better kind of animal then one that tells you about those you love. And then for the next holiday or brother 1st b-day take her back to buy an outfit for her new friend. Good luck!!!

Hi R.!
Congratulations!! How exciting!
One suggestion would be to have the family make a Tshirt for your Daughter. She can write on it with Fabric Markers or for more fun, use Fabric Paints and Puffy paints to write "I Am A New Big Sister" on the front and have stamp one of her hand or foot prints on the shirt. Mommy and Daddy can stamp their hand prints on the back; kind of like Angel Wings. Then, on the day of your son's Birth, you can have the nurse stamp her shirt next to her hand or foot print. The only thing is that the ink used will probably wash off in the laundry so you may want to take a close up picture of your son's foot prints so that you can later have it transferred onto your Daughter's Tshirt. Once you make the transfer, your son's prints will be permanent like the rest of the Family's prints. I did not suggest to stamp your son's prints on the shirt like everyone else only because you don't want to expose him to any chemicals at that age. The transfer is much safer.

I think anything you decide, as long as your Daughter is a part of creating it, will be very special and memorable for her and the entire Family.

Take Care!
D.

R.,

When our daughter was born, in October, we gave our son (4) a camera and small photo book. He loves taking photos, and we thought it would be a fun way for him to be a part of the process. He could take his own photos, print them out and take them for show and tell in his album. We bought a Fisher-Price camera because of his age. Your daughter is probably more tech saavy than I am...LOL! Our son loved having his own camera to take photos of his little sister and displayed his photos with great pride. Good Luck and enjoy! What a wonderful time for you and your family.

Congratulations R.!

We got my daughter one of those dolls that looked like her. There is a special company that you order a brown haired, blue-eyed, freckled...you get the idea. We did this so she could mimic what we were doing with the new baby. If we put the new baby in the stroller, her "baby" was in a stroller, changed diaper...etc. We also "oohed" and "aahed" over baby, so all the focus wasn't on the new baby. It also helped her learn things like changing diapers and how to be delicate with her new sister.
God Bless,
K. m

Hi R., When I had my 2nd daughter(Lindsay). I talked to her older sister(Anna), about a new baby in my stomach, & showed her baby pictures, so when I come home from the hospital there would be the new baby we talked about. We also brought her home a little baby doll for her to have of her own. We let her hold her little sister & do as much as possible with Lindsay to let her feel she was a part of the family still. I have pictures of Anna changing Lindsay's diaper. They were only 23 months apart. They have always been close, except when Lindsay become old enough that she wanted to think for herself. Anna had become "Mother-Hen" to Lindsay & was always telling her everything to do, Lindsay just got a little tired of that, but they rarely ever fought. This is just one example I felt like sharing with you. N.