Big brother gift from baby

[FizzingWhizzbee123]

DS1 will have just turned 3 when DS2 arrives. We want to give him a present from the baby. Easiest thing would be a new train for his wooden train set, as he’s mad about trains and would be delighted with it. However DH thinks it should be something more sentimental. I’m stumped. Any ideas?

I have 3 DC and got DC1 and then DC2 gifts from the new baby each time - I went for toys that they would like to play with at that moment so I could get a bit of peace. But they also bought the baby a blanket each time and every time it was used (all the time, it became the pram blanket) they would talk about how it was the blanket they had chosen for the baby. In terms of sentiment we took a lovely pic of the three of them when we brought dc3 home and they each have a framed copy in their room and love it.

We're just getting a toy for DD. I'd rather it was something she'll really enjoy and want to play with given I'm about to turn her whole world upside down soon!

A train is great idea.
A sentiment gift, whilst lovely, will mean nothing to your 3 year old until much older so better to give something he will enjoy to soften the blow of having to share his parents with this new little screaming bundle!

Definitely make it something he will want to play with and will get excited over now- the point is to smooth the way for this whole transition.

Also think it helps to make sure the gift from the baby to big brother is considerably more splendid than any gift given by big brother to the baby. We got dd (similar age) a pop-up tent so she could also have her own space if she wanted to hide away. She got baby brother a small doll.

Personally I’d go for a toy, a three year old is not going to understand something on a sentimental level. Also I think a toy sort of says I’m not so bad can we be friends

But if you must go sentimental how about something like a memory bear, www.etsy.com/uk/market/memory_bear

You could make it out of maybe one of your sons jumpers and a baby grow and gave it embroidered with A message from the baby that way should you chose, it’s both a toy to cuddle and something sentimental for when the older brother gets older and understands. (You could have two made one to the older sibling from baby, one from older sibling to baby. I absolutely appreciate that their expensive and with a newborn you probably won’t afford that)

Even something like build a bear and getting a personalised bear with a birth certificate that you can frame with a message from the younger sibling.

You can chose to keep the bear special on a shelf or let the older one cuddle it.

I was a lot older than the next youngest sibling and I brought them a very small cuddly this went on to be their absolute favourite toy, it went absolutely every where. You know the toy that gets repaired multiple times. So both the toy and sentimental.

Thanks all. Tbh, DS has an incredible memory for his trains and can tell you all about them. For him, a train would be quite sentimental and I’m sure he would remember forever how and why he got that particular train. Yes, he will outgrow them at some point and maybe he will/won’t decide to keep that train for sentimental reasons, but right now, I’m sure he would fully take on board that this was a special train from baby. Plus it has the added bonus of keeping him entertained. It’s his birthday soon and we’ve forked out for a big multilayer train thing which takes up far too much space, but in the hope it’ll help keep him occupied for a while when baby arrives a few weeks later.

I’ve seen engraved wooden tracks. Might get an engrave pieces of track too which says “special big brother” or something

That’s the thing it becomes sentimental just by being a gift from the baby, it’s his special engine his younger sibling gave him and he may attach his own sentiment to it!

The engraved track sounds like I nice idea too

Could you combine toys and sentiment by getting him a personalised train? something like this?. Then you gave a perfect 1st birthday present idea for the baby too.

My parents got me duplo when my brother was born and a dolls set when my sister was born. I obviously knew that my sister has not brought the doll but it was still nice to get something. I think a toy is better then a sentimental item. I like the idea of the train and engraved train track

DD2 gave DD1 (aged 3) a kids digital camera which went down well but it was full of photo of me in just my knickers feeding the baby.

DD was born 6 weeks after DS’s 3rd birthday. For his birthday we got him a talking Woody toy, then when DD was born she gave him the Buzz Lightyear that talks to it.

@Lockdownseperation that made me laugh

Thanks all. We’ve gone for the train and track. If he wants to, he can display the train on the track on a shelf in his room if he feels sentimental about it. Equally won’t hold it against him if he doesn’t! As long as his 3 yr old self enjoys it, that’s all that matters.

I mean when he’s older. Obviously I expect him to play with it now!

I am sure he is going to love it