1st bday gifts for your own child?

[PMJ]

Just curious how much you all spent/will spend for your child's 1st bday?

This is our first - I just have no idea.

I also would love some thoughts on what to get her. !

I don't want to start a bad trend of over-indulging her :)

No matter how much she gets, I read somewhere and am going to do it w/ our child - where she has to give 1 of the gifts to an orphanage, good will or someone who is less fortunate.

thanks

[Green_Tea]

I have been through three 1st birthdays :). It makes me a little sad to think that I'll never be in that place again.

My recommendation is this: they will get SO many first birthday presents, and will never know which ones are from you. If there's not something that you are dying to give them, buy them a special book that you can inscribe for their 1st birthday (The Giving Tree? The Velveteen Rabbit? Something beautiful and classic.), and just hold the $ you would have spent in reserve for when you happen upon something truly wonderful. I spent around $50-$75 on a first birthday gift for each of my kids. If someone held a gun to my head and demanded that I purchase something, I'd go here (http://www.novanatural.com/).

[HonoluluMom]

I recently celebrated DD's first birthday. I spent around $1,500 for her party. I think this is very reasonable for Hawaii where people throw large and elaborate baby luaus - think along the lines of hundreds of guests, catered food, entertainment, etc.

For her gifts, I probably spent around $400. Her "big" gift was actually a cross-stitch project I made for her (I wanted to give her a keepsake) and it cost about $200 to frame. The rest were clothes, books and a ride-on toy. First birthdays are very important to me.

[Roleysmom]

This thread has some great ides in it:
http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=369221

[SnuggleBuggles]

We got one simple, less than $10 toy- a pull along puppy. He had something to open but he really didn't need anything or know it was his b-day. Plus, extended family spoiled him rotten. No reason for us to buy more! Same thing for the first few Christmases and 2nd b-day.

Beth

[belovedgandp]

Depends on how much of a party your are having and what all is going to be coming into your house.

My first son we did a "big" gift - a wagon which was great at the time and has been used for the six years since. Second son, we bought a couple things, but nothing big. I only throw big family birthday parties (local aunts, uncles, cousins) for the first birthday, so they get a lot of gifts at that one. Future birthdays, I spend a little more getting things of interest because we don't do a big family party and maybe a very small friend party.

[Gena]

For DS's first birthday we got him a savings bond, had a flag flown over the US Capitol Building for him, and got his first hair cut.

He got lots of toys and stuff from other family members.

[brittone2]

I'd consider just a small gift and socking away some money in savings. Small gift could be a toy or something more sentimental.

With DD (2nd child, we didn't need much!), I bought a Spiel und Holz birthday ring and we use that as a family tradition now.

I have also gone the practical route and I purchased either a learning tower or Kinderzeat (precursor to the TT ) for DS1's first bday. We ended up with both around the same time but I can't recall which was his birthday present. We're still using both of those items 5+ years later.

DD got a Haba ball track around that age (was her big Christmas gift that year. We obviously bought the one with the large ball, not the marble sized one!), and our Haba push toy was also a big hit around that age (RF walker wagon is pretty popular too).

I'm probably going to just regift the Haba push toy or ball track to DS2 this year for his 1st bday. I might get him a FP Learning Home off of CL. It depends on whether we have a finished basement to plop it in (we're beginning some househunting...).

[vonfirmath]

For DS, we bought him his convertible car seat. (Britax Marathon) he had tons of fun before his birthday climbing on the box! And then played with the box for the next month afterward before we moved and threw the box away. I think we had a couple of small toys too -- but we were close to moving and he didn't notice what he got at ALL. He could not even open the presents. The party and gifts were more for mom than DS.

He got a homemade blanket from good friends of ours that turned out to be a great present (at 3 he is still using it)

Most of the aunts and uncles bought clothes, which was nice. He wore them until he (finally) outgrew all of them.

If I knew then what I know now (And had not been about to move) I'd have bought him a nice outdoor riding toy for this birthday -- since he needed it well before his second birthday. -- A cozy coupe, or one of those push alongs/feet powered scoot cars.

[SpaceGal]

I got DS1 a set of HABA Fantasy Blocks, something I knew he would use at some point and keep forever good lasting toy. He still plays with them now and he's 5.

[khalloc]

I gave DD a Radio Flyer walker-wagon.

For DS I bought him a car garage by iPlay.

[logan's mom]

I knew my family was buying too many obnoxious toys, so I only bought DS a few small things that I wanted him to have. Otherwise, we tried to make the day special. Dad went into work late that day and we all had breakfast together-pancakes-DS's favorite. I put a "1" candle in them and we sang. Same thing with our lunch and dinner. We did some fun activities....went to the park, story time, etc. After dinner, DS got a cupcake again, with the candle. I know he won't remember the special meals, but its something that we would like to do for all birthdays.

[AnnieW625]

We did bath toys as DH didn't see the point of spending oodles of $$$ for a birthday that DD1 may not remember. 3+ yrs. later she still uses the same bath toys in the bath tub.

We got her this set (and another one, but I can't really remember the other set):
http://www.munchkin.com/products/detail.html?section=prodCategories&ID=10000&pID=160

[Smillow]

We got DS the LL Bean version of the Pottery Barn anywhere chair.

[crl]

I think the inscribed book is a wonderful idea. (We were waiting to travel to China to adopt ds on his first birthday, had his picture and information. We bought Oh, The Places You Will Go and inscribed it.)

I also think a starter set of big unit blocks from a quality maker would be great. If you are interested, I can dig up where we bought some, it was a website recommended here. Blocks have gotten years of use here. DS wasn't very interested until he turned 3 though. Now he is 7 and I think he has played with his blocks nearly every day for the last 4 years.

Or a good push toy of some kind would be nice, if you don't already have one. I just bought the Ikea push wagon for dd. Not sure if it is for Christmas or first birthday in the Spring. It was not much money. I think $20 or $30?

Catherine

[YouAreTheFocus]

We got DS the LL Bean version of the Pottery Barn anywhere chair.

This might be a stupid question, but when do they start sitting in chairs like these, and what do they do while sitting in them?

[Smillow]

This might be a stupid question, but when do they start sitting in chairs like these, and what do they do while sitting in them?

Well, we thought it was too tippy as all DS wanted to do was stand on it, so we put it back down, seat up against the sofa & ds stepped up and down on it a lot. As he very rarely sits (except high chair & carseat), now he climbs on it to try to get to things:ROTFLMAO:! He's 18 months now, I don't know how much sitting will happen on it!

[wellyes]

DD has a chair similar to the Anywhere Chair that she uses every day. She drags it to whatever room I'm in and sits and "reads" one of her books. It is very cute. She is 2.5 and has been using it regularly for about a year.

For DD's 1st birthday I got her the Laugh and Learn Home. But we didn't throw a party for her so weren't expecting a ton of gifts (relatives gave lots anyway).

[♥ms.pacman♥]

this is a great thread. ds's 1st bday is not for another 4 months, but i'd like to get ideas too! the inscribed book idea is great. i mainly want to get keepsakes since i think he's still too young to appreciate a lot of stuff!

[crl]

I just wanted to add a link to Ikea's toddler wagon. It is $19.99.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40060836

Catherine

[kms00]

For my oldest we bought the Radio Flyer Pathfinder wagon. They have all used and loved the wagon though. I think the Cozy Coupe is also good. My kids have all loved it around that age too.

[ehf]

Pottery Barn anywhere chair.

She sat in it that very day to read. She sits in it all the time. It's one of the best things I ever got her.

My daughter loves to be in things, though--she sits in my laundry basket, in the neighbor's Step 2 push buggy, in the box that her puzzles came in, etc.

We also put money in her college fund. I figure her birthday is a good way to remember to do that.

[vonfirmath]

This might be a stupid question, but when do they start sitting in chairs like these, and what do they do while sitting in them?

My cousin got their daughter one of these for her first birthday earlier this week and she's already sitting in it. To read. To play with other toys. To climb up the back. Etc.