UPDATE: See my thoughts on Angel Tree gifts and why I think these are so important: open.substack.com/pub/confidentlymom/p/unpopular-opinion-angel-tree-gifts?r=4uxc50&showWelcomeOnShare=true Anddd we also got my son one more gift, something we've given my daughter in the past and he's OBSESSED with (but a different theme)! These StoryTime playsets bit.ly/41xSFhM When we moved a lot they were our dollhouses, and to this day one of the items my kids LOVE and get lost in! Great for small spaces and travel!
I love the idea of numbering gifts and I will totally steal that for the future! I think spacing out the gifts throughout the day really is the way to go. Less stress and more fun. We aren’t really giving a lot of individual gifts this year, but my son is only 2 and I know he will get plenty from the family. We got the Lovevery reading skills set and some books, so we wrapped a few of the items up from that for our Christmas. I’m going to get some practical items for his stocking too like a countdown timer and maybe a mini dustpan.
Yes we do a slow open!! Small gift, biggish one, pause, breakfast, repeat. I love those ideas!! If he doesn't have a dollar tree squirt bottle (or the one from Lovevery) it's also great for the stocking!
My girls have birthdays five days before Christmas and 10 days after Christmas and I agree - it's so hard because it's like you have to gift them something in the hopes they'll be able to use it later in the year because there won't be any other gift giving events past Easter for us. So, I always gift my kiddos a toy a bit more advanced knowing they won't use it now, but they can use it later. My oldest was at a fun age this year where she could actually ask for things vs me deciding what she'd like. We did a lot of shared gifts this year as well!
Oh gosh 5 days before and 10 days after?! Bless you!! My second is in the summer, so I'll throw in a spare gift for her then at least 😂 Happy Holidays!!
Thank you for sharing! How do you handle each child having their own toys vs shared toys? I have a 5 year old daughter and 23 month old son so this is our first Christmas where we are doing shared gifts and individual gifts. Last year was only individual gifts since my youngest was still a baby. You had mentioned your youngest would have a doll too so that his older sister would have a toy she could ask to borrow instead of it always being your younger asking for hers. My daughter has her own dolls/stuffed animals in her bedroom which we give her the autonomy to decide whether to share those or not but she typically will only share one or none at all lol. My youngest is usually the one wanting what she has. Our main living room space is where we keep open ended toys for both kids to play with. Thank you!
We let the kids keep toys they want specifically in their bedroom; if it enters a shared space, it's fair game (classroom/playground rules for us are, "you don't bring it if you aren't ok with others touching it"); and 95% of their stuff is in shared space. If sibling is playing with a toy you *actually* want back to play with, you can ask for it back and then they have to sort it out (we help). This is where having the doll that's his, but she'll really want, is helpful. Because if he is playing with one of her toys and she is getting upset, we have a few options: Have her check in and see if she really wants to play with it or if she has some other feeling about him using it (usually fear he'll break or damage it) at which point I remind her it's my job to keep everyone safe and I'll ensure she gets her stuff back undamaged or if it is damaged, I'll have another solution for her since he's a baby/my responsibility. Alternatively, it's a good time to remind her that if she is just taking it back to take it back, then he may choose to do the same with (x, y, z toy) that she likes to borrow. We also narrate proactively before disputes happen like when one of them comments how cool something is the other got, "It is! Maybe you can ask to borrow it or take turns trying each other's out" So we seed the idea often and early. The Darla book(bit.ly/4iAFWAE) has a whole sibling asking to borrow something scene they like to re-read and reference during those times too!
UPDATE: See my thoughts on Angel Tree gifts and why I think these are so important: open.substack.com/pub/confidentlymom/p/unpopular-opinion-angel-tree-gifts?r=4uxc50&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Anddd we also got my son one more gift, something we've given my daughter in the past and he's OBSESSED with (but a different theme)! These StoryTime playsets bit.ly/41xSFhM When we moved a lot they were our dollhouses, and to this day one of the items my kids LOVE and get lost in! Great for small spaces and travel!
I love the idea of numbering gifts and I will totally steal that for the future! I think spacing out the gifts throughout the day really is the way to go. Less stress and more fun.
We aren’t really giving a lot of individual gifts this year, but my son is only 2 and I know he will get plenty from the family. We got the Lovevery reading skills set and some books, so we wrapped a few of the items up from that for our Christmas. I’m going to get some practical items for his stocking too like a countdown timer and maybe a mini dustpan.
Yes we do a slow open!! Small gift, biggish one, pause, breakfast, repeat.
I love those ideas!! If he doesn't have a dollar tree squirt bottle (or the one from Lovevery) it's also great for the stocking!
My girls have birthdays five days before Christmas and 10 days after Christmas and I agree - it's so hard because it's like you have to gift them something in the hopes they'll be able to use it later in the year because there won't be any other gift giving events past Easter for us. So, I always gift my kiddos a toy a bit more advanced knowing they won't use it now, but they can use it later.
My oldest was at a fun age this year where she could actually ask for things vs me deciding what she'd like. We did a lot of shared gifts this year as well!
Oh gosh 5 days before and 10 days after?! Bless you!! My second is in the summer, so I'll throw in a spare gift for her then at least 😂 Happy Holidays!!
Thank you for sharing! How do you handle each child having their own toys vs shared toys? I have a 5 year old daughter and 23 month old son so this is our first Christmas where we are doing shared gifts and individual gifts. Last year was only individual gifts since my youngest was still a baby. You had mentioned your youngest would have a doll too so that his older sister would have a toy she could ask to borrow instead of it always being your younger asking for hers. My daughter has her own dolls/stuffed animals in her bedroom which we give her the autonomy to decide whether to share those or not but she typically will only share one or none at all lol. My youngest is usually the one wanting what she has. Our main living room space is where we keep open ended toys for both kids to play with. Thank you!
We let the kids keep toys they want specifically in their bedroom; if it enters a shared space, it's fair game (classroom/playground rules for us are, "you don't bring it if you aren't ok with others touching it"); and 95% of their stuff is in shared space.
If sibling is playing with a toy you *actually* want back to play with, you can ask for it back and then they have to sort it out (we help). This is where having the doll that's his, but she'll really want, is helpful.
Because if he is playing with one of her toys and she is getting upset, we have a few options:
Have her check in and see if she really wants to play with it or if she has some other feeling about him using it (usually fear he'll break or damage it) at which point I remind her it's my job to keep everyone safe and I'll ensure she gets her stuff back undamaged or if it is damaged, I'll have another solution for her since he's a baby/my responsibility.
Alternatively, it's a good time to remind her that if she is just taking it back to take it back, then he may choose to do the same with (x, y, z toy) that she likes to borrow.
We also narrate proactively before disputes happen like when one of them comments how cool something is the other got, "It is! Maybe you can ask to borrow it or take turns trying each other's out" So we seed the idea often and early.
The Darla book(bit.ly/4iAFWAE) has a whole sibling asking to borrow something scene they like to re-read and reference during those times too!
Are your kids 2 or 3 years apart? I’m expecting and wondering what the age gaps are like
2.5 exactly
They are individuals. They are not just part of a family. How sad for the kids.
Why is it sad for them when they got everything on their list and more?