HELP: Welcome Pack for 2 Young Girls

[KittyFan83]

Really hoping you guys can help me out with some buying advice here.

Long story short, I don't have any children. My brother has two young girls. They will be living with my mum permanently (she is a pensioner) very soon (next few months) as my brother and his partner can't care for them. My mum is brilliant, and will do a great job caring for them.

I live far from her, so I can't be there day-in day-out to see what is needed. But I'd really like to put together a "welcome pack" of sorts, to send for each of them for when they arrive with her.

Now, my mum has raised 4 kids and done a brilliant job of that, so I'm sure she'll have the basics covered easily. They won't go neglected in any sense.

But I'd really appreciate your advice on what I could include in these packs that would be useful, and valued (by the girls or by my mum!). At the very least, it will help her feel supported in what is a huge commitment for her at her age.

The girls are aged 5 and 2 and a half.

As I don't have kids, I genuinely have no idea what their needs could be. I'm guessing they won't need nappies/special food, but even that is just a guess. So, what kinds of presents would/your kids have really appreciated when they were around that age?

I'm looking to spend maybe £20-40 per child on this, depending on suggestions.

Thanks! (And sorry to be an intruder here, but you're really the best people I have to ask for advice on this).

I could ask my mum about this, but she'd just tell me not to worry and she'll take care of things. But I know the gift would have a lot of symbolic value to her if it arrives unexpected. ;)

Is this the Tangle Teezer brush? www.google.co.uk/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=tangle+teezer&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=6IodVcCfKKWE7gbHtIHYBQ#q=tangle+teezer&rls=en&tbm=shop

If so, I know they have them in £land, so could deffo get one and tell my mum where to get more (either £land or go to Boots/etc)

Mine is younger than these but I have an older goddaughter so I used to buy her things without much experience of kids (hadn't heard of mumsnet then!).

In general I would suggest if in doubt about age ranges err on the side of older than younger: they will always grow into it. Especially in relation to clothes, where different shops seem to have very different ideas about sizes

I looked for melamine plates etc for my nephew but found they were really expensive relative to plastic and I couldn't really see what the big advantage was to justify the extra money.

If you have time, what about looking in charity shops or jumble sales or asking friends for some fun hats, scarves etc and making a box of dressing up clothes? I remember loving playing with a box of costume jewellery that came from an elderly relative. (younger child would need supervision to start with).

Maybe if you're worried about overwhelming them with lots of new things at once you could divide up the same stuff into several parcels so they can open one each weekend for the first few weeks? I like the name sign idea, I would suggest not getting something with both their names on one sign though so that if for any reason they move into separate rooms in the future they can each take their name with them.

Good luck :)

If you want to do an art box, a friend of ours did the best present ever. A plastic storage box with those handles that fold down and lock it. Stickers spelling out Sarah ' s art box on the lid. Then fill with paper, stickers, glue sticks, etc. Just raid that aisle in sainsbury or somewhere.

And yes,that is a tangle teaser.

I do really recommend separate duvets on the double bed. For any number of accidents, illness and fights.

Thanks, I'll get the tangle teaser for them then! I'll leave sorting duvets to my mum - I know she has a load of double duvets and probably still has some good quality single ones as well. Plus, she's said about taking them to pick things out like that within the first week they come to stay, along with e.g. picking the colour for painting the walls of their bedroom/choosing wallpapers, so they have an active input in those decisions in order to help them feel like the space is theirs.

Things like bobbles, tangle teaser, art supplies, etc., will all be smaller items that might get forgotten about while all the bigger things are being sorted, and which will help them feel at home but won't deny them involvement in choosing what that "home world" looks like. :)

Thanks to Singleandproud for recommending Bookpeople - just been checking out their website and there's a brilliant selection of books in it. That will definitely be a resource for my mum and me over the years, not just when the girls first arrive!! Great mix of fun and educational, which is great to see.

Thanks all who posted - quick update from me…

1. I've entered a bunch of competitions to hopefully win some things for the girls. So far, I've been really lucky and won a Ribbit DVD and £30 hair clips for them!!

2. I've started getting a lot of the smaller bits and pieces together - tangle teezer, etc., and planning the bigger purchases (making sure I'm not duplicating things my mum already has ready for them)

3. I've noted a few Ikea items that are bigger purchases that may be worth buying for them - some steps so they can easily reach the bathroom sink (need to double check they're a good height for the girls' heights!) and higher chairs for the dining table. When they grow out of these, I know my mum will find good 2nd homes for them, so it's a good investment all round.

4. I'm considering getting them a Toby Wagon to take their toys in and out of the garden with. They/my mum can also use it to collect fruit and veg from the garden - I'm thinking this will be an excellent way to help them feel like the garden is their space, and for them to have a chance to bond with my mum over that open space. In addition to this, I'll be getting them some cheap garden toys (plastic racket and balls or something like that, to get them started off).

5. We have family abroad who have just heard about this situation, and they want to pitch in with some welcome gifts of their own plus birthday and christmas presents. Family means a huge deal to them, and it matters to them that the girls know they're part of a family even if they haven't met anyone. They were actually quite upset that my brother hadn't made those introductions despite being in some contact with them before they realised what the situation was like.

6. I've got them this book, I Love You Near And Far - www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1454905077?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 It's basically a children's story conveying the message that family members love you even if they're not with you. The main reason for getting them that book is to help them deal with being away from their parents, but also to help them understand they have family abroad who love them even though they've never met so far.

7. We're also looking at making/buying some Worry Eater dolls for them - www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1454905077?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 these are for anxious children. They write their worries down on paper (or draw them), then put it in the doll's mouth and zip the mouth up. The doll "eats their worries away" for them, but the parent/parent-figure can always read the messages later, to find out what's on their mind. Given the situation, I and my mum both think these could be really useful for the girls (we'd previously been talking about my mum and them each doing diaries with the same intent, but as a family "art activity" but we think this idea is probably better for them).

Sorry for the long post - I will share pics of what I get for them, and thanks again for all your astoundingly good advice!!

Hopefully, some of the details in this post may be of help to someone else on here and I can feel lil I've paid forward the wonderful help you've given me. Hugely grateful, thanks.

ps just to be really clear (still figuring out how thing work around here!) - those amazon links in my last post ARE NOT affiliate links. Just sharing them cos I think they could help others, I don't benefit in any way if you click them.