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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To do this for dd 1st birthday?

32 replies

mummytopebs · 05/01/2011 20:54

DD is 1 in a couple of weeks and there is literally no money left for her presents.

Would it be terrible to give her my elder daughters toys from when she was 1, that have been in the loft. If I clean them up and wrap them they will still look new.

I just feel so guilty not getting her new stuff as she has had a really difficult 1st year of life and wanted a big celebration and a big pary for her, but money is very tight and the only way I could do a big party/ pressies etc would be to put it on the credit card. Wwyd?

OP posts:
activate · 05/01/2011 20:55

she won't know any different

sounds really sensible to me

get older child to make her some playdough or something

ssorted

EverythingInMiniature · 05/01/2011 20:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LoopyLoopsOfSparklyFairyLights · 05/01/2011 20:57

Of course YANBU.

Can you make her something too?

MrsPresley · 05/01/2011 20:57

At 1 she's not going to know that it's her older sisters toys.

I would just clean them up and have a great time with your daughter.

You have many years ahead to go mad with the credit card Grin

SpikyBinkle · 05/01/2011 20:57

Agree. She won't know and will love the toys anyway. It's a great idea.

fluffygal · 05/01/2011 20:58

DS1 got toys from ebay for his first Christmas. She won't know or care. Don't get into debt for it.

charliesmommy · 05/01/2011 20:58

sounds perfectly reasonable to me.. she wont be any the wiser.. although you may want to run it by elder daughter first, who could be a bit "noooo thats MINE"... but if you make elder daughter feel as if she is the best big sis on earth it should soften the blow...

will she will be getting presents off other family anyway?

calaminecovered · 05/01/2011 20:59

We just did the same for our 2 year olds Christmas - she was thrilled! No point in spending money you don't have when you already have toys for her.

LindyHemming · 05/01/2011 20:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

onepieceoflollipop · 05/01/2011 21:01

What a great idea. How old is your older dd? If she won't remember that the "old" toys were hers, then don't make a big deal of it. If she does remember some of the items, then why not take her out to choose a small present for her little sister. (something that the 1 year old needs, or a token present) :)

Habbibu · 05/01/2011 21:03

Perfectly reasonable, and makes much more sense than buying stuff new.

Bobbiesmum · 05/01/2011 21:03

We are lucky that money is not too tight but my 3 year old and 1 year old just got most of their birthday and Xmas presents from car boot sales. Also lots of these presents that didn't get looked at have gone in the loft for next year!!!!
I sound tight but they really have NO idea at that age about what they are getting. Waste of money to buy new, perfectly reasonable to use the stuff in the loft.

onepieceoflollipop · 05/01/2011 21:06

Thinking about this a bit more I would go as far as to say if you went out to buy new then I would without doubt say YABU!

SmellsLikeTeenStrop · 05/01/2011 21:06

I would recycle presents. I've done so in the past, actually one of DD2s Christmas presents was something that belonged to DD1 and had been stuck in the loft for years. DD2 is 4 and she didn't flip out that it wasn't new - don't think she even noticed but was absolutely thrilled to bits with it.

SleepWhenImDead · 05/01/2011 21:06

That's exactly what I'm doing for DS2's birthday! Will get DS1's wooden walker from the loft and wrap it up. Neither of them will know it was DS1's! Absolutely no problem in it - they won't know, I think you just go through the motions a little just for the older ones to see you treat the younger ones specially sometimes too. Ebay is great for presents for your own children, DS1 got most of his Christmas & birthday presents from there, especially if you look out for local toys, you can pay a couple of quid for something worth 4 times as much.

unfitmother · 05/01/2011 21:07

YANBU, I didn't buy DS anything for his first birthday.

Lamorna · 05/01/2011 21:12

It sounds very sensible and she won't know.

mazzystartled · 05/01/2011 21:12

We did this at Christmas; and planning on doing it birthdays and Christmasses for as long as we can get away with it. DS2 will be the third child to get the cow wheelybug for his first birthday. And I am sure he will love the Brio trainset DS1 hasn't looked at for years on his second.

I'd only feel guilty if I were buying shedloads more for the sake of it.

wizzler · 05/01/2011 21:13

YANBU. I spent money on toys for DS when he was tiny, and he hardly looked at them. Save your cash for when she is demanding most of the Argos catalogue by the age of 5!

Firawla · 05/01/2011 21:20

if they have been in the loft then your dd hasn't seen them they will be "new" to her, as much as if you went out and bought them
young children dont care what it cost, if you have good working toys and they are clean and nice then why not? putting it on credit card etc is silly really to get into debt just because of this. if you cant afford it then you cant afford it.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 05/01/2011 21:24

Sounds fine, I didn't worry about a first birthday pressie for DS2 at all as he was already playing with some of DS1's old toys.

heymango · 05/01/2011 21:25

Absolutely fine - DS3 had a 50p ball from Asda for his 1st birthday - loved it too!

MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 05/01/2011 21:26

Sensible. Give her lots of love and attention and that's present enough for a little one.
You'll be giving her a 'grren' birthday too - good for you! Grin

MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 05/01/2011 21:26

Oops green

medoitmama · 05/01/2011 21:45

Haven't read thread, just OP. OMG I would give her hand me down pressies at the drop of a hat! I am proper skint at mo and didn't give my 2yo anything for her last birthday in September. It was a difficult decision to make, but I gave her a little party instead and got her a little dolly (£3.50) from her big sis.

I thought that when people asked I'd just tell them that we got her a Trunki (which is what we got with the money my dad gave her). But no one did ask.

For DD1s first b-day we had more money, but I still just got her a photo album with photos from her first year. Thought that was better than plastic tat. Such a cliche but it's love they need not stuff. Don't add to stress by racking up CC bill.

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