I know, I know.
"It's only October! Chill out."
I'm type A, I can't help myself! So here I sit getting excited about the holidays, and I've come to this conclusion: Christmas is harder with two. With one you buy them the gifts you want them to have; they open said gifts; you eat some cookies and drink some nog and call it a day.
I want things to be fair and equal, and my mother provided a compulsively good model for that. Which is kinda interesting because she was an only child, so it's not like she had any experience to pull from.
Anyway, so I find myself wanting to model fairness even now. Despite the fact that Henry is too young to notice or care about presents and we don't need ANY baby or cruising-toddler type things. Which puts me in an odd situation, I mean what do I buy the kid, socks?!
Jack is too young to understand about money so I can (and will) skip the worrying about whether or not I'm spending the same amount on each child. I do, however, need the number of gifts to be the same.
So what do you get for a baby when you don't want to get another chewy, ratting, talking playskool or fisherprice or melissa and doug toy? All I've got so far is a custom embroidered cloth diaper (which Henry will wear but is clearly a present for me.) Ideas? Suggestions?
(I should mention they are able to share clothes, so I don't need winter or spring wardrobe stuff either!)
7 comments:
Liam's pediatrician told me to wrap up empty boxes for his first Christmas so I don't think I can help much on this one. We did wrap up a few things we would have given him anyway but that was it. He wasn't even very interested in the toys that he did get (from relatives) and I'm guessing Henry will be the same. Is there anything that you want Henry to have to use/play with that is starting to fall apart from Jack using it? For example Liam has really trashed a bunch of his board books so I'll be getting new ones for baby #2. My only other suggestion would be that you could use this as an opportunity to start getting stuff for Henry's "big boy" room. Henry won't care that it will be going back in storage for a while and Jack will understand that it's stuff for Henry (since I assume he's who you want to model fairness for).
my parents are also compulsively even with gifts...they pick out an amount and try to give gifts that have the same value.
I am going to guess that Jack won't notice if Henry doesn't have the same amount of stuff. You could just put the money you would spend on gifts in a college fund or bank account for Henry.
(or you could wrap up previously used toys for Henry?)
I too was going to say books you can never have enough. Maybe a few new outfits? I don't know size wise what he is in but a few new things never hurt. Maybe a pair of Robeez?
I have been saving a few of my favs from both kids (including hospital hats, going home outfits, first pair of shoes and cute outfits along the way that I want to save for them) and one day am going to get a sort of "Hope chest" for them and all their baby memories. Maybe something like that you could get both of them? have you decided on a number of things you are going to get Jack so you know how many things to get Henry? Oh yeah, A baby's first Christmas ornament!
i ditto kate - john's first christmas he LOVED the wrappings.
also, books never get old, and they can be shared by all.
as for enterprise - yes, worth watching! :) TNG is our favorite too, but we've really enjoyed watching every series, all the way through, from start to finish (except OS. ugh. i suppose i'll have to, to say i have but oh man. the torture.).
Ds9 is definitely 2nd best, but enterprise has its moments. i never got into when it was on either (schedules, college, etc), but i'm glad i'm watching it now, for backstory, etc.
plus, i just really like sci-fi.
have you watched firefly? out of control awesomely good!
I had some more ideas! I didn't know if you were thinking about a tricycle of sorts for Jack, but then you could get a push car (a car with a handle that you could push henry in) or a wagon for the two of them? a shared gift? Just some ideas!
Mrs 2nd Lt- I live for Firefly! I have all the books that go with the movie and series.
Thanks for the suggestions ladies! I wasn't even thinking about a joint gift. Henry loves to watch Jack play so that would totally work!
Do share Christmas ideas for little ones! On Jillian's first Christmas she was almost a year, so could kind of get excited. What on earth do you get an almost 4 month old (second child at that!)?
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