Oh! And I want to add some of my ideas!

I know a few of you (like me) have just had or are about to have a second baby. I've been thinking of ways to include my older child in gift giving, and so we are going to make a mobile for the baby together.

Here's how:

To prep, I will cut up pieces of card board to be a little bigger than the size of an index card. I will also cut up black and white (and maybe a few bright colors? I haven't decided yet) construction paper into big solid shapes.

Then, I will let my son glue the shapes onto the cardboard, so that it creates abstract pictures that will be interesting and stimulating for baby.

Next, I will poke a hole into the middle of each piece of cardboard, put a string through each hole, and hang them from thin wooden sticks (I have some shish kabob skewers that I will use) to arrange a mobile.

I'm really excited about it! I think it will give my son a sense of involvement and allow him a way to nurture and care for his baby brother (something I am always looking to encourage), while being a fun crafts activity too! I think it will also make a nice mobile for the baby. I'll definitely let you guys know how it comes out.

I tell everyone NO TOYS, please!!! If there is a specific toy they really want to get, they have to talk to me about it first. Outside toys are okay though. I encourage people who want to buy my kids gifts to focus on art supplies, building sets, books, musical instruments, memberships to cool places, and fun lessons for music, swimming, dance, sports, etc.

This year I got my five year old just a couple of toys, a DVD player, a couple movies, and lots of art supplies. I got my nine year old a porcelain doll, a book, some cute pajamas, and a BIKE!!!

We don't celebrate Christmas. We do celebrate the Solstice (happy solstice everyone, by the way!), but we don't do gifts. All of our family and some friends do want to give my kids presents, though, and I don't restrict that. Sometimes my family gives outrageous things (IMO) that I dislike, but my kids love. I don't want my kids to feel like their choices have to be the same as mine - they can enjoy and own things that I wouldn't buy or even like.

I definitely point my parents and friends towards things that I think we'd all enjoy (such as wooden toys, non-noisy, not made in China, etc...) but I accept that I can't control my kid's preferences for ever. I tend to emphasize activities and services over stuff - like gymnastics classes or swim lessons.

I dont really have any objection to people buying my kids toys. I buy my kids what they request. I have two almost teenager children and it is very hard to buy for them because they want ipods and cameras and things like that. I got those gifts for them, but the other one ( the 5 year old) I like him to have manipulative toys because he is a very busy kid. I usually request leggos or things that need to be built. My kiddo is really into action figures too. I dont do violent toys though. One of my gifts I got him was a bat and a ball.

I try to get toys that require some imagination to play with. I also don't do guns or things like that but he does have a light saber! I agree with chatdelheure about other people giving gifts. Also I always ask for people to give him clothes because he needs them and he has plenty of toys.

We do puzzles, board games (co-operative and otherwise), and imaginative play stuff here. Stuff that she will actually use. I try to get her as few as possible, but good quality/timeless gifts, if that makes sense. Like, instead of hitting wal-mart and loading up as much as I can afford, I go to the expensive toy store and only get her a couple things.

If people ask what to get I'll give them ideas but otherwise I don't bother. If it's someone where I'm thinking they're going to get her something Disney, I tell them something Dora. I approve of Dora. LOL

I know many of the holidays are over. We got Teagan some art supplies, board games, a couple of books, a baby doll, and a doll sling. She received other things from relatives. Some of the presents are not things I would purchase for her, but barring the obscenely inappropriate, I let others give what they want to her. In the case of grandparents, if it's something I really don't like, it's a toy that stays there for when she visits them.

Next year I'm going to ask for no toys for the boys. The boys have more toys than they need, half of the Christmas toys aren't even opened yet and they don't care. Trey still has unopened toys from his birthday in October and hasn't asked to play with them yet. We're going through to donate most of their toys to the women in need store, and implement no gifts next year. It's funny that they have so many toys, more than they need, but both boys are nearly outgrown their pants - clothes would have been much more practical and put to better use.