Q. My daughter will be almost 17 months on Christmas. I want to buy her a few big gifts instead of a lot of little ones. I was thinking the Fisher-Price "My first doll house" and also the accessories that go with it. I also want to get her a doll, since she only has one. I kind of feel like I want to go crazy and spoil her but I am trying to keep myself from doing this because I'm trying not to live above my means. But...it's Christmas! lol I go back and forth...
Do you go overboard with the gifts on Christmas? It seems like so much fun to do! What are you getting your toddler girl? Especially, what is the big present you are getting her?
Do you go overboard with the gifts on Christmas? It seems like so much fun to do! What are you getting your toddler girl? Especially, what is the big present you are getting her?
Answer
It's funny, up until recently, I haven't had any ideas on what to get my now 18-month-old daughter as we have "everything" from my three-year-old son. But, this Christmas, I've got loads of ideas and somehow have to whittle them down. lol.
The FP My First Dollhouse is definitely on the list. The reviews are great and she loves Little People stuff so the dollhouse seems like a great way to introduce a dollhouse and encourage more imaginative play.
A definite gift will be Fisher Price's Little Mommy set -- a doll, stroller, bassinet and chair/carrier thing. Costco has a version of it for a great price and my daughter loves playing with dolls, pretending to feed them, giving hugs and kisses etc. And, all kids, boy or girl, well at least the ones I know, adore pushing around stollers.
A tricycle. We're doing the Radio Flyer lights and sounds one as we already have a push-bar one from my son and I got a great deal on it. Although she isn't able to pedal yet so maybe this one should wait in my closet until her 2nd birthday. Hmmmm... But, if your daughter doesn't have a push bar one, that would be a good idea. One with a belt is best (we improvise with a person's belt when she rides her brother's, which doesn't have a seat belt, but she still has tons of fun on it). Of course, our winters are fairly mild and some of the days can still have time outside playing. If you have harsh winters, a tricycle can wait until a 2nd birthday too. Although, I will say, my son learned to pedal during the winter, using it indoors instead of out. Outside was too scary for him to learn to pedal. :)
Both my children are getting Step 2's Up & Down Roller Coaster as a joint gift. My daughter is a thrill seeker and this will probably be her favorite toy. We have a large basement and this will also come in handy for all those afternoons stuck indoors due to cold weather. Again, it gets great reviews and almost all of the people who purchase it say they are 100% glad they did. Before I chose this though, I was debating between it and one of the ride-on electric trains, like the Thomas one or Peg Perego Santa Fe ones. I still think that would be a great gift for a 17/18 month old, but I ended up choosing the roller coaster because I think they'll be able to get more use out of it for longer.
In the same sort of idea, indoor "outside play" for the winter, I'm debating the Little Tikes or Step 2 large slide. We go to an indoor play session at our community center and the slide is a HUGE hit with my kids, especially my 18 month old, she'll just climb and slide for an hour straight. Of course, it's pricey, so with the roller coaster, I don't know if this will happen, but I know she would love it if we do get it.
Other things, a rolling toddler-sized backpack. My daughter ADORES her brother's preschool backpack and will spend hours filling it up, emptying it out and pulling it all over the house. But, it has to have the wheels, like a suitcase, as that's the biggest draw. She has other bags without wheels and doesn't play with them at all. Grandma already got one for her. :)
I know it may seem "gender-wrong," especially for first children who are girls and who don't seem to be as into stereotypically boy toys, but here are some ideas of my son's toys that my daughter plays with every day. She loves his wooden train set and will play with it every day. Who knows, she may be just mimicing her brother, but she really seems to like it. Another one is a matchbox car racetrack thing that we have. Probably not totally age-appropriate, but she loves sending cars or trains or, well anything, sliding down the tracks. A Little Tikes kitchen with plastic food stuff. She pretends to wash her hands and eat the food, drink from the cups etc. She also has a lot of fun just taking all the food and utensils out of their storage container and putting them in the stove and back again. Oh, the shopping cart for the same purpose is on our list, although, since we're getting the stroller I probably won't get the cart as well. But, it does seem to be a big hit with young toddlers.
Isn't it fun shopping for your kids?? :)
It's funny, up until recently, I haven't had any ideas on what to get my now 18-month-old daughter as we have "everything" from my three-year-old son. But, this Christmas, I've got loads of ideas and somehow have to whittle them down. lol.
The FP My First Dollhouse is definitely on the list. The reviews are great and she loves Little People stuff so the dollhouse seems like a great way to introduce a dollhouse and encourage more imaginative play.
A definite gift will be Fisher Price's Little Mommy set -- a doll, stroller, bassinet and chair/carrier thing. Costco has a version of it for a great price and my daughter loves playing with dolls, pretending to feed them, giving hugs and kisses etc. And, all kids, boy or girl, well at least the ones I know, adore pushing around stollers.
A tricycle. We're doing the Radio Flyer lights and sounds one as we already have a push-bar one from my son and I got a great deal on it. Although she isn't able to pedal yet so maybe this one should wait in my closet until her 2nd birthday. Hmmmm... But, if your daughter doesn't have a push bar one, that would be a good idea. One with a belt is best (we improvise with a person's belt when she rides her brother's, which doesn't have a seat belt, but she still has tons of fun on it). Of course, our winters are fairly mild and some of the days can still have time outside playing. If you have harsh winters, a tricycle can wait until a 2nd birthday too. Although, I will say, my son learned to pedal during the winter, using it indoors instead of out. Outside was too scary for him to learn to pedal. :)
Both my children are getting Step 2's Up & Down Roller Coaster as a joint gift. My daughter is a thrill seeker and this will probably be her favorite toy. We have a large basement and this will also come in handy for all those afternoons stuck indoors due to cold weather. Again, it gets great reviews and almost all of the people who purchase it say they are 100% glad they did. Before I chose this though, I was debating between it and one of the ride-on electric trains, like the Thomas one or Peg Perego Santa Fe ones. I still think that would be a great gift for a 17/18 month old, but I ended up choosing the roller coaster because I think they'll be able to get more use out of it for longer.
In the same sort of idea, indoor "outside play" for the winter, I'm debating the Little Tikes or Step 2 large slide. We go to an indoor play session at our community center and the slide is a HUGE hit with my kids, especially my 18 month old, she'll just climb and slide for an hour straight. Of course, it's pricey, so with the roller coaster, I don't know if this will happen, but I know she would love it if we do get it.
Other things, a rolling toddler-sized backpack. My daughter ADORES her brother's preschool backpack and will spend hours filling it up, emptying it out and pulling it all over the house. But, it has to have the wheels, like a suitcase, as that's the biggest draw. She has other bags without wheels and doesn't play with them at all. Grandma already got one for her. :)
I know it may seem "gender-wrong," especially for first children who are girls and who don't seem to be as into stereotypically boy toys, but here are some ideas of my son's toys that my daughter plays with every day. She loves his wooden train set and will play with it every day. Who knows, she may be just mimicing her brother, but she really seems to like it. Another one is a matchbox car racetrack thing that we have. Probably not totally age-appropriate, but she loves sending cars or trains or, well anything, sliding down the tracks. A Little Tikes kitchen with plastic food stuff. She pretends to wash her hands and eat the food, drink from the cups etc. She also has a lot of fun just taking all the food and utensils out of their storage container and putting them in the stove and back again. Oh, the shopping cart for the same purpose is on our list, although, since we're getting the stroller I probably won't get the cart as well. But, it does seem to be a big hit with young toddlers.
Isn't it fun shopping for your kids?? :)
Tips for traveling with a 2 1/2 year old?
Aimee
I'm going to be flying with my son next month for the first time alone. Unfortunetly we have to make a connecting flight before arriving to our destination. I am planning on bringing a dvd player & some movies. I will call the airport to find out about what i can carry and what i can check. Can I check & carry items for two since we are paying for two tickets? Just wondering if I should bring the car seat on the plane, since I think he will sit better with it but then i have to lug it to the connecting flight. I thought about buying a "sit & stand stroller" so I can push him and any carry-on items. What have you done to make your travel less stressful? Thanks in advance!
Answer
The cardinal rule is this: travel light. The most important thing you can have is your two hands free.
When I fly with my (now 3 y.o.) son, my tactics depend on the flight we're taking AND how we're leaving the airport.
There are actually THREE parts to the flight: getting to the ticketing counter, getting through security and getting on the flights. You'll need to think through all three pieces in your journey.
If you've purchased two tickets, then yes, you have two luggage allowances. But careful - odds are that you can't handle getting all those bags around the airport on your own. And it's worth noting that no single bag can weigh over 50 pounds, regardless of how many seats you have.
Normally, I pack one rolling suitcase, put my son's carseat in a backpack carrier (they sell them for about $20 at Babies'R'Us) and load any other luggage on the stroller. This argues against using a Sit n Stroll - they have no cargo space underneath and the handlebars don't accommodate bags well, either.
I can just barely manage to walk from the car to the ticketing center pulling one bag, pushing the stroller, wearing the car seat and balancing the rest of the gear. I could not possibly get on an airport shuttle, so I allow extra time to walk from parking to the airport - and pay extra to be in a closer lot.
When my son was about 2 years and 3 months, I stopped using his car seat on the flight. He has a little more freedom of movement out of the car seat, which is great. I can even put the armrest up so he can snuggle up against me. You might triple check with your airline first, but I've always been told that as long as my son can sit on the plane in a lap belt, there's no requirement that he be in a car seat.
The ONLY time I keep the car seat with me now is if I'm leaving the airport in a family member's car and can't chance arriving before our luggage does.
So when I get to ticketing, I check my car seat and the rolling suitcase. This leaves me with my bag, my son's bag, the stroller, and, of course, my kid.
I sometimes fly with my laptop, but have never taken a laptop/DVD player when flying solo with my son. Between folding the stroller, getting our shoes off and all the other craziness required to get through security, I can't handle one more thing. We go low tech for entertainment ... and it works just as well. Especially if you have short flights, the amount of time you can use the DVD player probably isn't worth the weight of taking it and the effort of taking it out for security review.
Once we're through security, the rest is a breeze. We reassemble the stroller and ourselves and get ready to enjoy the flight. We usually buy food on the other side of security, and I usually buy my son a new toy. I find that I can get a good 30 minutes or so out of a new Matchbox car or similar item.
Now here's one thing to consider with your stroller - you'll have to gate check it. And you'll probably have to wait for your gate checked item to be unloaded. I'd still suggest taking the stroller, but if your connection is tight, you might mention it to the flight attendant. Some flight attendants will bend over backwards to give you a hand ... some are not terribly helpful. But it's always worth politely asking if they can do anything to expedite the process.
No airline wants a stranded mom & baby. :)
Lastly, take deep breaths and try to enjoy flying. It can be incredibly stressful, but it can also be fascinating for your child.
Good luck!
The cardinal rule is this: travel light. The most important thing you can have is your two hands free.
When I fly with my (now 3 y.o.) son, my tactics depend on the flight we're taking AND how we're leaving the airport.
There are actually THREE parts to the flight: getting to the ticketing counter, getting through security and getting on the flights. You'll need to think through all three pieces in your journey.
If you've purchased two tickets, then yes, you have two luggage allowances. But careful - odds are that you can't handle getting all those bags around the airport on your own. And it's worth noting that no single bag can weigh over 50 pounds, regardless of how many seats you have.
Normally, I pack one rolling suitcase, put my son's carseat in a backpack carrier (they sell them for about $20 at Babies'R'Us) and load any other luggage on the stroller. This argues against using a Sit n Stroll - they have no cargo space underneath and the handlebars don't accommodate bags well, either.
I can just barely manage to walk from the car to the ticketing center pulling one bag, pushing the stroller, wearing the car seat and balancing the rest of the gear. I could not possibly get on an airport shuttle, so I allow extra time to walk from parking to the airport - and pay extra to be in a closer lot.
When my son was about 2 years and 3 months, I stopped using his car seat on the flight. He has a little more freedom of movement out of the car seat, which is great. I can even put the armrest up so he can snuggle up against me. You might triple check with your airline first, but I've always been told that as long as my son can sit on the plane in a lap belt, there's no requirement that he be in a car seat.
The ONLY time I keep the car seat with me now is if I'm leaving the airport in a family member's car and can't chance arriving before our luggage does.
So when I get to ticketing, I check my car seat and the rolling suitcase. This leaves me with my bag, my son's bag, the stroller, and, of course, my kid.
I sometimes fly with my laptop, but have never taken a laptop/DVD player when flying solo with my son. Between folding the stroller, getting our shoes off and all the other craziness required to get through security, I can't handle one more thing. We go low tech for entertainment ... and it works just as well. Especially if you have short flights, the amount of time you can use the DVD player probably isn't worth the weight of taking it and the effort of taking it out for security review.
Once we're through security, the rest is a breeze. We reassemble the stroller and ourselves and get ready to enjoy the flight. We usually buy food on the other side of security, and I usually buy my son a new toy. I find that I can get a good 30 minutes or so out of a new Matchbox car or similar item.
Now here's one thing to consider with your stroller - you'll have to gate check it. And you'll probably have to wait for your gate checked item to be unloaded. I'd still suggest taking the stroller, but if your connection is tight, you might mention it to the flight attendant. Some flight attendants will bend over backwards to give you a hand ... some are not terribly helpful. But it's always worth politely asking if they can do anything to expedite the process.
No airline wants a stranded mom & baby. :)
Lastly, take deep breaths and try to enjoy flying. It can be incredibly stressful, but it can also be fascinating for your child.
Good luck!
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Title Post: What's on your Christmas list for your toddler girl?
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Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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