Children of almost all ages demand toys. When it comes to the children who fall between the ages of zero and twelve month, the presence of baby toys matters a lot. Here, the problem arises that which toy suits your baby needs. The reason is that every child has his/her own needs and requirements. What a zero month child requires will be definitely different from the needs of a twelve month child. You should know about the requirements of your child and then make the judgment about the toys for your small baby. These are some points which really help you to select an appropriate baby toys for your dear one.

If you have a child whose age lies between zero and one month then you need to buy a baby toy that can stimulate your child because a newborn has limited senses. You can buy rattles for your newborn baby.

If your baby is 1-3 month year old then you can buy playmats/activity gyms which help your baby in doing some extra activities providing him/her an opportunity to punch in a little motion. The combination of rattles attached to food socks really provide a great surface for your child to have a good kick on the mat.

Three to six months babies prefer to play with the baby toys which make some interesting sound and provide stimulation to your children.

When your baby enters the age of six, he/she starts crawling. Hence, the babies who are between six to 9 months old prefer to play with the toys which encourage their crawling. You can also give your child books with nursery rhymes and hand movement.

After entering into the age of nine, your child generally starts moving. The age lies between nine and twelve usually demands baby toys which help your baby in entertaining when he/she is sitting and crawling. You can encourage the mobility of your child using a four-wheel trolley with a handle. You can also use cuddly toys for your older children.

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Sibling rivalry can hit you too!

Sibling rivalry. Most of us have lived with it personally, so when a new baby is born, we often feel the disappointment and perceived isolation of the big brother or sister as if it were our own. Even youngest children often have vivid memories of seeing older siblings get things, or be allowed to do things, that they weren’t … and the activation of your little kid’s sense of justice that the unfairness of it all created! Some parents are bitterly divided about whether sibling gifts should be bought for older kids when a new baby (and all those new baby toys!) come along – today we check out the view from both sides of the fence.

Sibling gifts as markers of change

Change is difficult for all humans to deal with … especially toddlers and primary-aged children who are very fond of stability. However, if you can use the sibling gift that comes along with a new baby toy as a marker of something positive within that change, you’ll be doing a great service to both the parents and the older child.

Make sure you buy a new baby toy that is very simple, and not likely to hold the older child’s interest … so don’t buy something that must be ‘grown into’! Then choose one of the sibling gifts below that is designed to help get an older child excited about their new role:

•    Books that explore how older siblings act
•    Gifts that mark the older child as more of ‘one of the grown-ups’; Mum/Dad-and-Child apron sets, baby dolls and prams, cooking toys etc are all good ideas
•    Big sister’ or ‘Big Brother’ tshirts

If this careful gift choice is supported with an attitude that the older child’s help is needed, and that they baby’s happiness is also their responsibility, the end of the sibling rivalry battle will come much sooner!

‘Things’ are important to kids

As we grow older, we begin to realise that life is much more than possessions. We also tend to forget that when we were kids, we really defined ourselves by our possessions. When the new child is getting all sorts of baby toys and the older child isn’t, it can really make them feel unloved and un-cared for.

Kids want something to nurture

Art imitates life … and children imitate their elders. Older children are often aching to look after something that’s helpless as well, and be just like their parents. If your kids aren’t interested in dolls, other items can be bought that need care as well – trucks can be washed and ‘oiled’, for example.

Toys can be a great distraction

Mum and Dad will be very busy taking care of the new baby in the early days, and providing new toys other than baby toys for the older child can buy some blissful hours of peace!

Don’t buy matching gifts

Yes, baby toys and sibling toys, or little tshirts that match are very cute. But they will make the older sibling recoil in horror! They want to maintain their independence and special place in the family – most aren’t ready to be lumped in with the baby yet.

But…
Older kids still need love, attention and responsibility

No number of toys and gifts will make up for a lack of love and attention – so make sure that sibling gifts aren’t used to ‘buy’ time or to make up for distance or anger.

They’ll need to learn eventually

It simply isn’t possible (or desirable) to buy the same thing at the same time for each of your children throughout their lives. They will need to get used to the differences between them sooner or later; and some parents say that this may as well start right away.

In our opinion, the benefits of buying sibling toys at the same time as baby toys far outweigh the drawbacks or arguments against. Choose your gift carefully and make sure it’s backed up by a loving attitude and the opportunity for plenty of new responsibility if you’re the adult … and you’ll all be able to welcome the new one much more easily!