[JRobot]

Hi All -

We've gotten most of our paperwork done and are just waiting on the fingerprinting and PRIDE classes. In the mean time, I could use some help thinking through what *stuff* we should buy to be ready. In particular, I'm thinking about furniture/furnishings and toys.

We want a sibling group of 2-3 kids and are open to ages from infant to middle school. So, we could get a 4-year-old and a 10-year-old or two younger kids or two older kids or really any combination. We don't have kids now, so we have only a very few toys in the house (my old Lincoln Logs, some all-ages games, etc). We've bought a bunk bed, but haven't yet got linens, rugs, etc.

Ideally, we'd have some pre-placement transition time to get ready for specific kids. However, we've been made aware that things can happen very last-minute, and once we get our foster license, we may get a call that says "we have kids and they're coming tonight." So I want to get enough ready for a situation like that, but also don't want to spend a lot of money on general stuff that might not be a fit for the age, gender or likes of the kids we eventually do get.

I'm open to all advice, although I have some specific questions.

Should I get car or booster seats? What about a high chair or booster seat for the table?

What are some good "generic" decorating ideas for the kids rooms? The walls are yellow and we have light wood bunks, but no linens yet. We want to have a good picture of "your room" for the profile." My friends' kids' rooms are all very specific to their age/gender and personality, so I'm having trouble thinking of something that would be kid-like but appealing to a wide range.

What are some good toys for a wide range of ages? I was thinking I'd get some legos, since kids will either use them or grow into them. Any other ideas for classic toys?

Waiting for your wisdom!

Thanks!
-J.

[triciansil]

Our age range was from 0-10 and we got a placement with a 2yr and 5yr old. We decided (other then beds and dressers) we would not get anything until the visits started and we would take them and let them pick out their own room decor, few toys etc... that way they felt like it was their own and not just another bedroom they were staying in- we ended up moving them in without any visits so it turned out to be very rushed but still I know they felt at home right away with the things they picked out themselves. It is SO hard to know what to get, so that is why we chose this option.

[sunnyrobins]

Our plan/thoughts were similar to Triciansil. The bedroom had the bed and matching dresser and a bookshelf that had a collection of all sorts of books and color books andd a some legos. I spent $10 on some curtains and a set of sheets to match and then used a beige bedspread that was $20. and a couple of cutsie posters from wal-mart. We wanted to have the child who moved into the room be able to make the room their own by choosing their own colors and decorative things. We had visitation with our son june and july and he moved into our home in august. He just decided last week what color he would like for his walls so we will start the painting this weekend.

[amelie38]

We are at the same stage as you are. We have a single bed already and plan on buying a crib soon, just in case(can always on-sell it). We are going to set up the crib in the room as the sw wants pictures. I am doing black and white since it works for either. Should we get an older child, I will do the same as the other posters; let them help choose it.
We have a range of books, coloring books, Lego, playdough, pots, pans and Tupperware. A quick trip to Target will supply the rest.
Maybe you could buy one thing every pay day until you get your first placement?
(we are worried about buying too much in case we get turned down).

[sadoyle1216]

We are open to up to 3 children, ages 0-5...with some flexibility in that We have one room that is set up as a nursery (crib, dresser, changing table, etc). That is primarily green with a farm theme...very kid friendly and gender neutral. We have a few toys for kids 0-2 in that room. The next room we have the beds, dresser and a little table. That room is decorated in geometric patterns in bright colors, a lot of red, orange, green, blue. We were initially concerned that it was a little too "boy," but everyone who has seen it has commented on how neutral it is. Our first placement was a 2 yr old girl, who loved that room. As far as toys, it's mostly coloring books, blocks, cars (even girls play with them), books and stuffed animals. Most of the toys (except the stuffed animals) we got a yard sales, thrift sales or clearance aisles. Actually...a lot of the stuff that we have are from those 3 places. Craigslist has been another great resource. Most of the clothes we have are from craigslist. When we get placements, we'll get them something special that is always theirs (usually toys). As far as the stuff we have on hand, we figured if we didn't end up needing it in the long run (not sure exactly how long we'll be doing this yet), we'll put it back on craigslist, have our own yard sale or donate it back to the thrift stores.

We had a baby bucket before starting the process and bought 2 convertable carseats. In the mix, we ended up getting a booster seat when a relative came to visit. The car seat is NOT something that you want to get second hand. Carseats expire (usually ~5 years from date of manufacture) and should be replaced even after fender-benders. Without knowing the history of the seat, you could be purchasing an unsafe product.

You could also get one of those travel booster/high chair seats. We have one that attaches to a regular chair, but has a tray that could be added. The whole thing folds up and was pretty inexpensive.

Gathering stuff over time, keeing eyes on sales and such, you really can get prepared for a wide variety of situations for relatively little financial investment.

[MilehighDad]

I think the only answer is that you just have to decide what makes you comfortable and makes you feel ready. Basic furnishings, like a bed and dresser, will definitely help. But, whatever you buy make sure you are willing to completely change it. We prepared for an older girl and got rid of our baby stuff only to be placed with a 3-day old infant. You just never know.

Good luck and have fun with it!!

[JRobot]

Thanks all for the replies, this is really helpful!

One of the things we're realizing through this is how strongly things in kids' lives are gendered. We were thinking along the lines of sadoyle's post of doing geometrics and bright colors, but every time we see a display of them, there's another display with pink princess-y stuff--suggesting that colors and shapes are "boy!" Frustrating!

And yes, mile high dad, I guess I do know how to make smilies...

[brett158]

Im right there with you, everything seems to be princess or trucks!

[DannieAS]

Hey,

I'm in the same boat as you. My preference was for a 0-4 year old, however, I'm matched with a potential 5 year old girl.

In my spare bedroom, I have a generic low to the ground bed so that will work for now, some drawer space and obviously an empty closet...

if this potential match becomes a reality, I have the basics and when I have visitation, I'll see what her likes are and even if she sleeps on the current bed, it will be fun for her to have say in how the room will look and if she would like a different bed or not...etc.

I didn't prepare too much for an infant because I would just go out and buy the basic if there was an immediate need and then take some time to buy a crib since an infant could sleep in my room in a bassinet.

Whatever feels comfortable for you...this is what is working for me right now.

[adoptmom2be]

We also waited. We knew we wanted a sibling group but I am glad we waited because we were able to personalize it to things they told us during the visits. Now we did have to move pretty fast to get it ready once the visits started but it was worth it when they asked "is this really mine?" I would take this time to read the books, do a positive parenting class if they offer it and spend lots of adult time - it will be gone very soon LOL

[hcg]

We got a convertible car seat (for 0-3). In your case I'd look for one that converts to a booster - there are a number around. I've seen some good sales recently.

Good generic toys for all ages: Lego, of course, building blocks, puzzles, books, crayons or washable markers, play sand, and naturally anything you're currently using... You can get some great deals at thrift stores for toys, books and children's clothes. Keep an eye out on Craigslist and Freecycle too.

For linens, I'm not into pink anyway so I just got some crib sheets in green, white and beige. I'll probably get some curtains now we're getting to the cold weather, but I started with just plain blackout blinds. Some stores have stick-on borders that are relatively easy to remove, so you can decorate any wall with those.

[Prettyboicris]

My wife and I are open to 0-5 with a preference on 3 and younger. We have a convertible crib, a sheet set which we keep in the plastic bag, some johnson and johnson soap/shampoo combo, lotion, wetwipes, diaper champ, two bouncers, shower seat, Bottles that we got for free(Brand new), baby girl clothes 0- 24 months and some books. My wife and I both have to pass kids stores to get home so if we get a call last minute we can just grab anything else we will need for the night and head home then take a trip to target the next day. I have been scouting out freecycle and that is how I got the bouncers, diaper champ, bottle and shower seat all brand new. I also got the baby girl clothes that way. My wife and I have been looking out for boy clothes and clothes for an older child so we have something. Once we know more of the specifics of the child, their likes and dislikes then we will know what to get but until then we have enough to survive the first night and whatever we still need can be grabbed down the block.

I would suggest getting at least gender neutral linens and have a story/place in mind as to where you can grab something last minute. Also have a plan of action inplace in case you get a same day placement. My wife and I decided if we get the call and the time frame is less than 2 hours she will head straight home and I will stop at the store and pick up whatever is needed. If it is more than 2 hours but in the same day then she will go to the store and meet her at home since I work farther away from home. If the child is older then most likely there will be visits before placement but as with all things Foster care you will never know for sure so back up plans are always good.

[joskimo]

Before we placed last year I started picking up things at garage sales. Guess who's trying to unload the babystuff now! With such a wide age range you are looking for, I'd probably hold off on purchasing much.

[cottonlily]

We're open to 2 children under 8 but prefer one under 6, since we're young and new to this. Gender is not an issue to us. So it's hard to just pick up things or find used bargains like we did for a baby. At this point we aren't doing anything to our spare room. When (if) we get approved we will strip it down to the furniture. When we visit with our match(es) we'll get some neutral bed linens, maybe start searching for clothes if it's been narrowed down that much. I just don't want them to walk into another room like another foster family has set up for yet another foster kid. I want them to help personalize and feel a part of our home, and to know that it's truly theirs.

[countrychristian]

Originally Posted by JRobot

Hi All -

We've gotten most of our paperwork done and are just waiting on the fingerprinting and PRIDE classes. In the mean time, I could use some help thinking through what *stuff* we should buy to be ready. In particular, I'm thinking about furniture/furnishings and toys.

We want a sibling group of 2-3 kids and are open to ages from infant to middle school. So, we could get a 4-year-old and a 10-year-old or two younger kids or two older kids or really any combination. We don't have kids now, so we have only a very few toys in the house (my old Lincoln Logs, some all-ages games, etc). We've bought a bunk bed, but haven't yet got linens, rugs, etc.

Ideally, we'd have some pre-placement transition time to get ready for specific kids. However, we've been made aware that things can happen very last-minute, and once we get our foster license, we may get a call that says "we have kids and they're coming tonight." So I want to get enough ready for a situation like that, but also don't want to spend a lot of money on general stuff that might not be a fit for the age, gender or likes of the kids we eventually do get.

I'm open to all advice, although I have some specific questions.

Should I get car or booster seats? What about a high chair or booster seat for the table?

What are some good "generic" decorating ideas for the kids rooms? The walls are yellow and we have light wood bunks, but no linens yet. We want to have a good picture of "your room" for the profile." My friends' kids' rooms are all very specific to their age/gender and personality, so I'm having trouble thinking of something that would be kid-like but appealing to a wide range.

What are some good toys for a wide range of ages? I was thinking I'd get some legos, since kids will either use them or grow into them. Any other ideas for classic toys?

Waiting for your wisdom!

Thanks!
-J.

I'm glad you asked one of the questions I've been wondering. We just finished the pride classes and are waiting on our liscense for 0-3 girl adopt only. I already bought a crib that converts and tons of books and various toys from thrift shops,craigslist,and yard sales. All things looked new and paid almost nothing for them. I figure if I don't need it I will sell it to someone else. Somehow it just makes it feel more real just to buy something,as if I might really one day be a mom.