[ISAIAH'SMOMMY]

IS THER ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR I SHOULD REGISTER FOR? I WILL BE HAVING A TRADITIONAL TODDLER SHOWER SINCE THIS IS MY FIRST CHILD AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ADVICE ON WHAT I NEED. I KNOW ABOUT THE BASICS AND BIG STUFF BUT ANY OTHER IDEAS WOULD BE GREAT. YOU CAN EVEN INCLUDE TOYS, GADGETS ETC............
THANKS AND GOD BLESS,
ANNE (WAITING FOR ISAIAH GABRIEL 17MOS OLD)

[csw]

Hi ,
Gosh, it was awhile ago that my son was a toddler, I will have to think about it! Aside from the usual things,,any toy that was educational I loved for him..also,,physical activity..anything that would tire him out! We had the little slide, the little baby pool, the outdoor swing and ride on toys are great...peddle power,,not electric! If I think of anything else...little boys are so great! Hope he is home soon, Cathy

[catbite]

Toddlers are great - I adopted 2 of them and survived!

For your shopping, I would put on the list:
-a little table & chairs (e.g. Little Tykes) - my kids use it constantly for drawing, for eating in front of the movie on Fridays, etc.
-I'm living in freezer-land , so I asked for mittens/hat/scarf.
-Kids get a bang out of their own plates, etc. - we have a Veggie-tale set
-sippy/tippy cups
-Tricycle
-Kids tape player
-Lego
-Dress-up clothes (older toddlers may get into this - garage sales are great for hunting also).
-Books such as Good Night Moon, The Big Red barn, and Brown bear were some good ones for us.
-Carpet with roads pictured on it - my girls enjoy cars too.
-Picture frames - ask for specific size - I have some wierd sizes I can't really use
-Books on child care/ medical /parenting etc.
-Tickets to kids museum or zoo, mom & baby swim lessons
-Extra bed sheets (need at least a 2nd set)

Don't put on the list:
-Pop-up books (until old enough) - my daughter at age 2 destroyed hers
-Stuffed animals - I'm convinced they breed in my house

Happy shopping...
Mary Anne - mom to Maria (8) and Johana (4)

[felmel]

Don't forget the safety items. Cover all of the outlets and such. You will be amazed at what they can find to get into.

Big items like car seat and stroller.

At that age my kids went from a traditonal high chair to a chair that is high and they could sit at the table. My very small (50 lbs)10 yo daughter sometimes sits in that chair and is still very attached to it.

They make a really cool tricycle with a handle on it that allows you to push them, the handle is removable once they are pedaling on their own. My son loved that toy when he was that age.

Anytoy that you can push, roll or makes lots of toys.

Have fun,

[echaos]

I second the vote for the pushable tricycle. Liam won't get off his, even now that there is snow!

He is 18 months now and loves the following:

CDs ~ Mostly classical music, stories like the Nutcracker, books on tape

Videos ~ He LOVES the Baby Einstein collection. they play classical music (Mozart, Bethoven etc..) while showing shots of toys and colours. Very soothing and nearly lulls me to sleep at nap time.

Blocks! I recommend soft ones. IQ Baby makes a great set that comes with triangles to make roofs with, and each block has a door or window that opens with a picture behind it.

Fridge magnets

Rocking Horse ~ As a parent I needed nerves of steele for this one, Liam has been able to rock his way across the room for a few months now. He only just learned how to climb onto it himself last night, so now it lives on it's side (too big for him to right it on his own)

Balls of all sizes! to throw, to sit on, to roll down hills.

Board books. Liam loves to sit and flip through books on his own for his quiet down time.

Good Luck!

[bromanchik]

Two books

Toddler Adoption: The Weavers Craft
and
What to Expect the Toddler Years.

If you can stand the noise get one of those musical instriment kits. They've got tamboureens, shakers of all kinds, bells, etc. My kids loved making music with the music videos. ANY of the Sesame Street videos are good. They encourage tyou to get up and dance, exercise, make music..... And you've got to do it with them!!

[becky]

Veggie Tale Videos (if you don't mind a religious theme)...my 21 month old LOVES these things.

She is into dress up clothes, riding on the back of her dad's bike (so a nice bike carrier is a great gift), coloring (washable markers and crayons only), puzzles, puzzles, and more puzzles! She also loves balls of every type. Bath tub toys, wagon, pushable trike are all great.

As for 'things'...if you travel at all...a portable booster seat is great...we take it on vacation with us, and it attaches to a regular chair at our condo and she can reach the table when it's time to eat...most condos do not have high chairs. A Potty Chair...as you will be needing one sometime in the future. LOTS of sippy cups...it is amazing how these things disappear. I personally love the blankets from Gymboree...they are so soft and each of my children has loved their 'blankies' so much that at about age 5 or 6 I have had to put them away before they were destroyed from being loved too much!

[qs mom]

My son came home 6 months ago. He was 6 weeks shy of his 3rd birthday. Let me just say . . . LEGOS.

Swinging is a great bonding tool for toddlers. If you don't have a playground in your area, a swingset might be a good idea. Of course, depending on where you live, it might not be practical,

I didn't register for a diaper bag, with my son's age, I just didn't think of it and no one got me one. Get one. Or a portable seat. They have these at Target and they are the best things. It is hard plastic, with a seat back that pops up to use as a booster seat at restraurants and such. It also zips open to put diapers and snacks into the bottom of it. It also has a 'wipes' pocket. I much prefer this to the diaper bag.

I know someone voted against stuffed animals, however my son loved any stuffed animal that made sounds when you squeezed it. He have an awful lot and he loves them. I brought a little frog that rattled when you shook it and went ribbit when you squeezed it on my pick up trip. It was used alot to keep him quiet.

We have a Sunny Day Elmo. One side speaks and sings in English, the other in Spanish. That maybe helpful. Maybe hearing a few words in his native tongue might be good.

People asked me why I would want a stroller and baby monitor for a 3 year old - wouldn't live without them.

Car seat, sometimes kids never have been in a car and have issues with being restrained - my son sure did. I have an open car seat so to speak. No over the head. Which I really wanted, but am glad I didn't get.

I was short on pajamas when we came home.

[jillbee]

I would ask for books. We read everyday. There are a lot of books that are English and Spanish on the same page. My kids think it's hilarious to make me switch between languages. Dr Seuss is a great choice. My kids also loved Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

I got several of our "big things" from Lakeshore Learning. A google search will give you their website. They are a supplier to preschools and daycares. I figured that if their stuff can hold up to a preschool full of kids it might just survive my monsters! :0) I got our play kitchen from them.

Art supplies is another favorite of my kids. Lots of paper, fingerpaints, glitter glue (all washable of course). When the weather is nice I dress our kids in old clothes, fill pie tins with tempra paint, give the kids brushes and let them paint the driveway. The brush-thing lasts about 2 minutes before it's hands and feet. Yes, I buy art supplies in bulk from a local teacher store.

Congratulations! You are in for a wonderful time!
Peace,
Jill

[cgille]

I know this sounds hokey. My friends son just turned 16 months. His aunt got him a ball pit. It is absolutely adorable! It is a huge blow up fire engine with about 75 plastic balls in it. He loves it! She said he spends like an hour a pop in it and if you try to come in while he is inside it - look out!

I was also at another friends house a few years back for his daughters 3 year birthday and they had a bunch of kids there. She got a full size playhouse complete with mini stove and fridge. So cute! All of the kids where absolutely obsessed with this thing. The boys were in there frying "play eggs" on the stove. It was so cute.

Kind of a "fluff" items, but kids seem to love those things!

Christina

[felmel]

Hey, I meant to say any toy that makes lots of noise, not toys that make lots of toys! LOL


I must add, get a wagon, my kids loved theirs for years and it had many different uses, we even used it at some events instead of a stroller.

[waiting4james]

Thanks for this post. My son is the same age and I have been wondering about the same things. I always thought it was rude to ask for specific things, but I'm afraid if I don't there will be people who will insist on getting burp cloths and things like that! I have enjoyed the ideas here and I guess we'll get started on collecting some of these things!

Chelsea

[mckenna]

register for a lot of no spill sippy cups. also, they sell replacement stoppers, cuz sometimes the cups are still good but the stoppers get moldy or lost or old. i am always loosing my sippy cups and the good ones are the only ones that actually don't spill. if you are using a diaper genie, i would recommend the stage two liners for toddlers. cute twin bed sheets (even if your child is in a crib now they will transition to a twin bed soon enough. covers that go over the tv/vcr/dvd player. my toddler is in love with the buttons and driving everyone crazy, so that is a must in our house.

[ISAIAH'SMOMMY]

THANKS EVERYONE. YOUR RESPONSES OUR FABULOUS. I HAVE BEEN TO SEE HIM 3X'S BUT I KNOW THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN CARING FOR HIM IN A HOTEL COMPARED TO EVERDAY LIFE IN A HOUSE. I WILL MAKE SURE TO JOT DOWN ALL OF YOUR RESPONSES. KEEP THEM COMING PLEASE.
THANKS AND GOD BLESS,
ANNE
P.S BECKY I EVEN LOVE THE VEGGIE TALE VIDEOS LOL!!!

[stacyone]

My 21-m-old daughter loves her crayons and coloring books, as well as her fold-out 'Dora the Explorer' mini-couch. She's really getting into "pretend play", so her pretend kitchen gets a lot of use.

Every toddler boy I've ever met hasn't been able to turn down a really noisy, flashy fire engine.