Friends of ours are having their second baby; their first is 9 years old. Their daughter is having a tough time with all of the attention on mom and the new baby who is due in August. It is just hard for her to share all of the attention after being the only child for so long. I would like to give her a gift at the shower as well as one for the baby - does any one have any suggestions? Thanks AGAIN (I have asked alot of questions lately....)
She is school age you might try an adult pen pal (Aunt, Grandma, close female friend of mom's or even mom herself). I did this with my neice and she loved it.
Or you could try finding her a pen pal with a pen paling site.
A day out for her is a great gift. If you have a Libby Lu's in your area (there's one in Florida Mall) they are great for making a young girl feel like a princess for the day. Also offer to keep the baby so she can have a day to herself with her mom. One last thing, she will have to start accepting the baby and her role as a big sister, so I wouldn't overindulge her need to be in the spotlight too much. She may be a little nervous about having a baby in the house, so check out classes that many birth centers have for older siblings.
And finally, this family is blessed to have you in their lives to be so thoughtful, kudos!
Hello J.,
I think a personalize silver bracelet would be nice or maybe take her to make-a bear letting her choose the teddy bear an outfit that's an idea . Or maybe ask her mom what are favorite things . I hope my suggestions can give you some ideas.
~ A.
I do not know if she already has one or not but an MP3 is a great gift, we just bought my 9 year old one for Christmas & she LLLLOOOVVEESSS it. There are so many to fit any price range, but I buy them for each child in my family (neices & nephews also) and have found the Sandisk is the easiest & nicest for the least amount of money.
Maybe something grown up like a nice necklace or earrings.
A card with the promise of a special day for just you two! That's what I do for my 2 nieces whom I am raising.
Kathy
Hi J.,
Everyone has some great suggestions for ideas already!! I think that giving her a special/more grown up gift is a great idea. Then when you give it to her, you can explain that she is getting this speical gift because of her age/maturity etc. and that you know that although this may be a hard time for her that she will be a great big sister. Your a LCSW, you know what to say!! :)
K.
I had this problem too when friends of ours were having their 2nd so far after their first. I bought the big sister a ribbon at The Dollar Tree of all places that said something along the lines of "#1 Big Sister" and I also bought her art supplies with a note attached that said, "Here's some things to help you make your little brother's room extra special!"
Yes! I gave a friend of mine's older step-child of the same age a book called My New Baby and Me: A First year record book for big brothers and sisters. It is a great way to make the child feel involved with the new baby. It is their own personal journal and picture book of their own experiences and favorite moments as a big brother and sister. Extra bonus, the book runs only about $16 and the sibling I gave it to loves it.
My daughter who is seven has a barbie reading book that has several stories. A couple of which deal with a new sibling. We are in the process of trying to have a baby and it has really made our daughter understand that bringing a new baby into our family doesn't mean we love her any different or less. I purchased the book at Barnes & Nobles. They have whole sections on books like these, which i think would be an inexpensive yet thoughtful gift for the older sibling. You can give it to her with a note saying that these are stories she can share with and read to her new sibling.
I might add that you are a very considerate person to think of this as most people don't :)
What a nice gesture. You're very thoughtful.
I agree with Krystal something "grownup" like jewelry would be great. While self-play toys are always good, She needs to feel special right now and a play-alone toy might make her feel more isolated. Also, reminding her to keep her toys away from baby might make her more resentful of baby. (this happened with my sibling) I don't know how close you are to the family but you could make her a coupon book with coupons like "let's get ice cream", "let's get lunch" , or "I'll watch baby while you go out with Mama" etc. where she could call you (or someone else) ahead of time and you or someone else can take her to these activities. (friends of ours did this and it worked great). she gets time away from all things baby and feels special because she has "plans" and somewhere to go. Good Luck!
i was almost 9 when my mom gave birth to my sister.so i can understand what she is going through. its a rough transition from being the only one for so long to having anotherchild around. my grandmother went out and bought me a special doll. she was one of the realistic newborn dolls and it came with a book as well explaining how to take care of a baby. all aimed at helping older children adjust of course. im pretty sure that you wont be able to find the same thing that i recieved because i got it backin like 1991 but on ebay they have some amazing dolls up for grabs. i think all she needs is a reminder that you havent forgot about her and that just because a new baby is on the way doesnt mean that they dont love her anymore. just make her feel special and loved and she will be great. good luck.
I have a daughter who is turning 8 who has a baby brother. Though she adores him, there are times when she needs to be doing something FUN by herself because mom (and dad) can't give her the attention. Find an activity she can do herself. My daughter LOVES Playful Patterns, which is a box of foam shapes and gradually difficult pattern cards. It's a Discovery Toy product. You can email me for more info. Or just go to a toy store and look for an activity she can do on her own without having to ask mom for help. Something with little pieces is great because she has too keep it in her room since it's not safe for the baby, which I think makes it seem more special for her.
I am having my second child in August, and my sister-in-law bought a gift for my first child as well to make her feel included. I really don't think it matters what you get for them, I think they just need to feel special too. Maybe a cute outfit, or some age appropriate make-up would be great. They like that kind of stuff at that age. :)
