AIBU to give DC hand me down bike for Christmas?

[Wordau]

DC1 will be getting a new bike for Christmas as his is too small now.

His old bike is still in good condition and perfect for DC2.

However DC2 would be fully aware that their sibling is getting a brand new bike while they get their old one. So more a hand me down than a gift. Also DC1 has asked for a new bike, DC2 has not (but desperately needs one as current one too small - but they love it.)

Last time they needed new we just gave DC2 the old bike (DC1 got current one for birthday).

On the other hand, it seems a bit unfair to DC1 that their Christmas present is "used up" by a bike, whereas DC2 just gets one "for free".

What's the fair way to handle this?

We have the same problem. We just buy a bike in the summer and it's a new bike rather than it being a birthday or Christmas present. Not figured out any other way to do it.

Perhaps your oldest could be persuaded to give his old bike to his younger brother for Christmas?

Can you sell the bike and buy a new/ different 2nd hand one if that’s their main gift?

Or try and hand down the bike at another time.

I wouldn't give DC2 the bike as a gift personally. Certainly not as a main or only present, especially as they haven't asked for one at all.
Put the bike to one side for now, buy DC2 what they have chosen and rethink at another point.

I assume you will be spending the same on your younger son though? So DC1 gets a new bike, old one handed down for free, dc2 gets another present of the same value as the bike

Our solution is both get second hand, decent brands like frog. We then sell them on after they're both done with them. We lose less than £50, so it works out about £15 a year to hire them. They sometimes get them at Christmas or birthdays but not as their main present because of the hand me down thing for the youngest. But one has a winter birthday so we tend to buy theirs in the summer

DC1 gets a new bike.
DC2 should get a different new Xmas gift.
When the kids go out on their bikes DC2 should get the option of DC1 old bike.
You really cannot wrap up DC1s old bike for DC2. Imagine if your DH regifted a gift to you for Xmas and bought himself something new.

I would take away the old one now so it's forgotten for a few weeks. Then change the handle grips and pedals to a bright colour and ta da! Cool new bike!

Can you repaint the old bike?

I wouldn't give it as a Christmas gift. But it will be a nice bonus for child to receive it after Christmas anyway

Why would you give your child a hand me down for their Christmas present? Also why does your DC1 always get the new bike and DC2 is expected to get their hand me downs? Your thread title doesn’t match the post you made tbh.

@MamaWeasel why would you give a child their older siblings bike as a Christmas present? That’s very odd when the older sibling got a new item.

@mugler I just thought that it could be a learning opportunity for the older boy to give his old bike to his younger brother, that's all.

I don't know how old the kids are, but are they likely to know or care if a bike is new? A bike is a bike.

Clean up the old bike, paint it? new bell, lights, saddle etc to make it a bit different, some ribbons on the handlebars and maybe they'll just be happy to have a bike to ride.

Also, consider buying the bigger child a second hand bike rather than new.

You can tell I'm a child of the 60's.

I wouldn't give either bike as a Christmas present. The younger child will never get a new bike, you shouldn't make it into something special when only the older child gets to experience it. Get it separately as a new family bike to be handed down.

So whenever Dc2 needs a new bike, they always get DC1s old one and whenever DC1 needs a new bike, they get a new one?

To add to that, DC2 gets a hand me down gift they didn't ask for for Christmas while getting to watch DC1 open a shiny new gift they wanted for Christmas?

You realise you can't possibly do this don't you?

You can't give your child their older siblings bike for Christmas OP, surely you must be able to think of something else to get them?

This.

Get DC1 a secondhand bigger bike. Hand down his bike to DC2. Do both before Christmas. Adjust Christmas budget accordingly and split evenly between two kids.

If you can afford it buy both your children a new bike. If not wait until you can. Child 2 will always feel different if you don't. I was child 2..... the only time I had a brand new bike was when I bought one myself as an adult.

If your younger child doesn’t want a bike get your younger child a special present, something else entirely. Then after Christmas the older sibling just passes on the old one. but if your younger child would also like a new bike you buy them one.

I have quite a few siblings, understatement, and I’m the eldest, but I remember us all getting new bikes so everyone was treated the same. I don’t even think it was a Christmas or birthday present we just were taken to get new bikes.

I had second hand bikes as presents as a kid, but they didn't come from another family member. Not that I know of anyway.

If DC2 knows it belonged to DC1 I don't think you can give it as a present, but fine to hand it down once DC1 gets his new bike.

I buy my kids very good bikes. I justify it because both kids will get to ride it. They are also always second hand.

I generally pimp the bike when I give it to second child- new bottle carrier, bell, maybe some stickers, or cool spike lights etc that make theirs.
could you do any of that to make it “theirs”

Find a good second hand bike for dc1. When they need adult sized bikes, buy them each a new one.

This

This, 100%.