Present from the Baby

We put a big bow on a stuffed puppy and had him sitting on his bed when we all brought the new baby home from the hospital. This gave him his own special friend to love on while so much attention was given to the newborn. It made a very positive difference.
Good luck and blessings to your expanding family!
M.

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Our second gave his big brother the book "Polar bear, polar bear, what do you see?" because he likes animals and books so much. He's more into trains right now, but he still goes back to that book regularly.

Could your baby give your older son a set of cars to play with, not necessarily the Disney brand? Maybe an old-fashioned wooden set? He might really like to play with those now and in the future.

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We did this with our youngest 2 children to their older siblings. For example, my husband gave our first born his first teddy bear. Then that son gave his younger brother his first teddy bear, and got a truck in return when they "exchanged gifts" at the hospital. When our daughter was born, the second son gave her her first teddy bear. She gave her brothers "big Brother gifts". How about a picture frame engraved with "Big Brother and Me". You can always add the date later. Then take a picture of the first time he holds the baby at the hospital and place it in the frame. It will certainly be something he would treasure, not like a toy which would get broken or lost. And congratulations on your new addition!

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My daughter really likes cameras. She always wants to take pictures and look at them on our digital camera. We got her one of the durable child digital cameras from Walmart. That way she was able to take pictures at the hospital and look at them later. You might also think about buying a few small things to give him when someone brings the baby a present while your son is there. It helps eliminate some of that jealousy. Some people who brought us gifts at the hospital thought of that and brought our daughter a gift also.

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I took my daughter to Build-A-Bear and she picked out an item, made it and brought it to the hospital for the baby when he was born- in the mean time it moved from the infant carseat, crib ect- whereever she decided was his home in the meantime :)

Hope This Helps,
L.

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I really like the quillow idea with cars material (We got one with our first; we still have it and it is great!). Also, get him a cars toy of some sort to play with; the more useful the item, the more he will enjoy it. The gift should be something he can enjoy since his world will soon change so dramatically. He will not find a timeless treasure all that fun when baby number 2 invades his world. If the gift is something fun for him, he will really like the gift and appreciate the "thoughtfulness" of his new sibling.
Congratulations!

1 mom found this helpful

I would go to Barnes and Noble and find a book about being a "big brother"...you can even have the baby "sign it" with a not about how he knows that he is going to be a really great big brother. I would also consider something like crayons and coloring book, maybe something from the Disney Cars movie....that he can amuse himself with when you are busy tending to baby and he needs to be distracted.
Congratulations!!
R. Ann

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my daughter really like care bears. when our son came, we had the hugs and tugs care bears. its was a surprise we packed away and had when she came in to meet the new baby. hers was a little bigger then his. but it was cute since they are the "baby" care bears. we had a friend who also bought our a little stuffed monkey, my husband found a pink one almost just like it at the gift shop in the hospital and got that for her too.

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Hello R., I too have a almost 3 1/2 year old and I just had a baby almost 3 months ago. We had my son get the baby a gift and he was so excited to give it to him. It was so cute! I will always remember that moment. I didn't think to give my oldest son a gift from the baby but anything that you get for him he will love, I'm sure because it's from his brother. You could get him a book, coloring book, animals ( my son has lot's of animals and never get's tired of them.) Another thing that we did was we went to build a bear workshop and my son made his little brother an animal and we recorded a message in it. You could go to build a bear for your oldest son and give what ever you make to him from the baby. Well, what ever you pick out the oldest one will love it because it's from his sibling. Are you having a boy or girl? Good Luck with everything, let me tell you you think you are busy now wait until your other one comes it just get's more crazier and time flies by so much faster. God bless you and your family!

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How about a "big brother" t-shirt? Our oldest loved to wear his - he was so proud to be the big brother. You can find them on the internet or we bought ours from "Apple of Your Eye" gift shop.

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My oldest was almost two when my youngest was born. We did the gift thing also. My son was and is into cars also. My aunt makes what we call quillows, quilts that fold into pillows. I made him one that had cars fabric on one side and blue fabric on the other. My cousins have had to have more than one quillow in their lives and still use them. They are between 12 and 18. Hope that helps!

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I have only one thing I would add to the suggestions you have already received (and the ideas to get him some things he can play with or that will occupy him while you tend to baby are great!!!)

You know, the idea of timeless is really not about your 3.5 year old - in some ways its more about you - If you want to give him something that will "wow" him from baby - you should probably get him something you know he really likes and will enjoy. The picture idea is nice - but how much time is he going to spend and playing with a picture from the new baby? Why don't you talk this over with the person that does the class.

1 mom found this helpful

I can share with you my recent experience. My girls were 3 years and 3 mos. apart. I had a gift from the newborn for her big sister and she was so excited. It didn't matter what it was, she was just thrilled to get a present. If you end up with giving him something that he's thrilled with right now, that would be great.

The idea is to try to create a fondness for their sibling immediately--gifts work for that. My girl was so excited about her present that she wasn't upset that I was holding a baby. I was thrilled when she walked into the hospital room and naturally climbed up in the hospital bed with me, without coaxing or anything. She was not jealous. It was then that little sister gave her gift to big sis. (it was a magnetized set of teddy bear dress up dolls/scenes)
--although I dont' think she remembers where she got it.

Build-A-Bear is great. Maybe give him a gift card and go after the baby is born together so he can get the baby's "opinion." Let him know it's his special big brother bear.
Also...Just an idea that worked for us. We made our baby announcements from the older sibling(s)...for us it was "Stephanie and Kyle, along with their parents, would like to introduce you to their new sister Megan." It went over very well and the kids were so proud.
Congratulations. Enjoy your little ones.

Hi R.,
My husband and I just recently did that in May. My son loves sports...especially football and the St. Louis Rams. My husband is a teacher so he takes our son with him to "school" everyday. He expressed an interest in wanting a back pack. So, my husband and I decided to get him a Rams backback from the baby. We told him that his little brother wanted to get him something special. Now, anytime we go anywhere, he wants to bring his back pack with him. He loves it. If he is in to sports you could do something like that. My son likes to bring things with him wherever he goes. Hope my expeience helped you in some way! Congratulations on your new arrival!

Good Morning R., what we did for our gr son was to get a I'm a Big Brother Teddy bear for him from his baby brother.
Build a bears are awesome and they even have some in the Hospital Gift shops.

Congratulations on the new baby arriving soon.

God Bless you and yours
K. Nana of 5

Hey R.,

I just had a baby in May and we did the exact same thing! My daughter was the same age as your son when our son was born! From the new baby to my daughter, we got a v-tech digital camera. I don't know if you have heard of it or not but you should check it out! It was a great gift. My daughter could take pictures of the new baby and video. It is indistructable, literally! You can even print the pictures off. It also comes with some games on it so they can have something to do in the hospital when they come and visit and you are busy with the baby! We got it at Toys R' Us fairely inexpensive! Good luck with the new baby!

How about a board book that he could "read" to the baby. We have used art supplies so that the older child could make the baby pictures.

What ever you get for him, just be sure to choose your timing wisely.
I didn't. LOL !
When our son was born, we had him give our daughter (then 3 yrs old)a new doll and layette set.
We made the mistake of giving it to her during her first meeting with her new brother at the hospital.
BIG MISTAKE !
She was so impressed by the doll, she totally ignored her new brother no matter how much we tried to show him to her.
LOL !!
Ya live and learn I guess. Learn from my mistake, and have the baby give him his gift after baby comes home, and the children have had at least a meeting or two to get to know each other first.
Congrats on your growing little family !!

I understand the desire to want to do a keepsake but I would go with the gratuitous "I LOVE YOU" present. My son really really wanted a lego pirate ship and no one had given it to him for Christmas, his birthday or any other holiday so it was the perfect door opener for little sister to give him. He was dumbfounded that she could "know" EXACTLY what he had wanted the most! He cherished that ship for about 3 years (2 years longer than he probably should have) and still talks about the ship his sister gave him (he's 6 now). We also gave him a sweatshirt that says "I'm the Big Brother!" and let him carry in the balloons/flowers and present for his sister. He was so excited he couldn't wait to hold her!

As a keepsake I did find an adorable picture frame made by Russ that says "Me and my Big Brother" and "Me and my Little Sister" and used the first photo of him holding her in it. They both have that picture in their rooms and talk about them often. I can't wait to do a collage of them as they get older!

what about making a "big brother kit"? we did this for my nephew and he was so proud of it. It contained a special blanket that was his to use when he held his baby sister, a few books for him to read to her, one specifically about being a big brother and we tossed in some things just for him, matchbox cars, ball cap etc.

I would look for a book, preferably one that taks about being a big brother. I think whatever you decide it is a great idea = ) Lots of luck, be sure and emphasise what a big job being a big brother is = ) Have him help bring you diapers and you will have him bonded to his new sibling in no time.
B.

Our baby gave our older one a present. I don't rememeber what it was but it wasn't "timeless". Our big mistake was telling our older one that she was "getting a new baby sister", so like when she first met the baby she really thought she was really hers! Like for her! It was so funny, but our poor child was so confused, she wouldn't let grandpa get close to her "new baby sister", b/c it was hers! Her eyes were the biggest I've ever seen them! So, we had to correct this by saying she was mommy's new baby. Since she is a daddy's girl then we didn't talk about the baby being daddy's at first, that came later. She would have really been crushed! lol!