People who have fostered/adopted toddlers- a question

[amberlyrose]

My friend just found out that she'll be fostering a 2 yr old and 3 yr old. (yaaaaaaaay!) We're going to throw a quick baby shower for her and I'd like to have ideas of gifts when people ask. She has a small list and truthfully has no idea what she is going to need immediately. 

Can you help me out with some ideas? 

I guess anyone with a toddler can answer this. lol. Just figured people who have been in this unique situation may have a different perspective. 

[eddy]

This is sort of a dumb one, but kid plates, cups and utensils.

I don't let Leo use my normal stuff because he can break it and or/ stab someone with a fork.

[iamgrace]

Books? Toys? Art supplies?

[Coopertown]

Safety gear - stair gates, outlet plugs, cabinet locks, etc.

[sharknado]

Diapers and clothes
POtty seat

[pharmdmomma]

Car seats

Clothes

Booster seat for table

Bedding

Diapers/pull ups/ potty training device

A maid/nanny

Wine.

[jinkies]

Car seats

Depending on where the kids are with potty training (particularly the 3 year old), she may need a child's potty or at least a child's potty seat.

Sippy cups

Diapers/pull ups

Clothes, coats, hats, gloves, boots (depending on where you live)

Books, toys (my 3 year old loves Duplo blocks, coloring, puzzles), dvds

[bex1973]

Morgan is getting in to wooden puzzles, and "writing" so notebooks & color books and the like.

"Fun" placemats for the dinner table? Morgan loves her Dora one.

A step stool to reach the bathroom sink?

Bath stuff?

Sippy cups, smaller plastic plates & bowls.

And socks, I swear to goodness for her entire life I feel like I never have enough socks.

[CurlyQ284]

Alcohol.

Membership to a place where the kids can burn off steam, an indoor gym type place if you live in a cold weather area, zoo, children's museum.

[karenj]

My girl came with the clothes on her back. We had to buy literally everything. Safe bed, clothes, diapers (she was 15months), sippy cups, toys, books.

good luck to your friend. Tell her to be patient. some kids seem to adapt fast and other's take some time.

BTW, we adopted our toddler and her baby sister. They are now 12 and 13, soon to be 14 and 14.

[cville]

Other than the basics (clothes, a place to sleep, car seats):

hats/gloves
extra socks
I second eddy on utensils and plates (you can get these at target, stacks of them for cheap)
sippy cups (take and toss at Target for starters--they have straw sippy and regular sippy cups)
kid grooming (soft hairbrush/comb/nailclippers)
diaper bag
diapers in whatever size (a ton of them) and wipes; overnight diapers/pull ups too
towels (if she doesn't have enough; kid sized hooded ones are nice because they help dry the hair too)
washcloths
kid toothbrushes/toothpaste
kid shampoo/soap

[CurlyQ284]

Do the kids have any health issues? My kid has asthma and I use his humidifier and air purifier every night. Eczema? Will need special bath products.

Those are the essential things in my house but less important if they don't have those issues

[bex1973]

Oh yes to the humidifier, we use it every night in the winter. She doesn't have breathing issues but dang, she goes like 8 hours without a drink of water LOL.

[cville]

OH, and kid food:

-cheese sticks
-applesauce squeezies
-goldfish crackers
-grapes/bananas/berries (most kids like at least one of these)
-peanut butter
-Cheerios
-eggs (we run through a crapton of eggs)
-1% milk
-my kids love hummus and carrots/pitas/grape tomatoes to dip
-yogurt

It's a weird baby shower gift for a regular baby shower, but to show up day 1 one with sack of groceries might be sweet.

[bugandbibs]

DD1 came to us at 2 years old. We had nothing!

Clothes- especially underwear, shoes, carseat safe coat, and socks. She came to us with just the clothes on her back basically.

Booster seat for eating, kid utensils/plates/cups with lids.

Books, games, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, coloring/painting stuff, and art smock. Maybe an easel?

Kid bedding.

Toddler toothbrushes and toothpaste. Kid friendly bubble bath and bath toys. Maybe a set of children's medicines- ibuprofen, Tylenol, nasal sprays, boogie wipes, etc.

[amberlyrose]

Feb 9, 2015 13:00:56 GMT -5 cville said:

OH, and kid food:

-cheese sticks
-applesauce squeezies
-goldfish crackers
-grapes/bananas/berries (most kids like at least one of these)
-peanut butter
-Cheerios
-eggs (we run through a crapton of eggs)
-1% milk
-my kids love hummus and carrots/pitas/grape tomatoes to dip
-yogurt

It's a weird baby shower gift for a regular baby shower, but to show up day 1 one with sack of groceries might be sweet.

This is a great idea! 

[amberlyrose]

I can't wait to compile this list! Our group is 80% single men, but they are so excited to buy stuff for her and keep asking what she will need.

[styme46]

Feb 9, 2015 12:51:57 GMT -5 pharmdmomma said:

Car seats

Clothes

Booster seat for table

Bedding

Diapers/pull ups/ potty training device

A maid/nanny

Wine.

Yes! Haha!

Lots of good ideas in here!

Extra bedding for middle of the night emergencies

Ditto the kid safe eating utensils. My toddler flies his fork/spoon around like it's an airplane and has come close to poking my eye out more than once!

Maybe a few age appropriate movies

Shoes

[bex1973]

Oh, and if they have a DVR maybe a recommendation to record some shows just in case?

We have Little Bear, Doc McStuffins, Dora, Peppa Pig, Curious George and Bubble Guppies.

[badgergrl]

Furniture straps very important for safety but often overlooked

Books

Blocks / duplos

Clothes or gift card to target or kohls for wardrobe.

Dress up clothes.

[Deleted]

Hat and mittens - we are constantly losing ours
Vick's Vapor Rub
Booster seats for the table
Feety pajamas
Soft fleece blankets
Crayons and coloring books

[bittybomb]

Diapers, wipes, diaper bag, potty seat (I am assuming either or both may not yet be potty trained?).

Sheets (so many sheets!), cozy blankets, stuffed animals.

For toys, my soon to be 3 year old son loves trains, and anything to push.  He is also still using his pacifier for sleeping, which we will break after his birthday, but if these little ones use them, it might be helpful to have a few on hand.

Baby wash, baby toothpaste, toothbrushes.

Maybe an umbrella stroller or even a double if she can get one cheap, car seats.

Monitor, sound machine, humidifier.

I will edit if I think of anything else.  Your friend is doing something so amazing!

eta - children medicines - tylenol, motrin, pedialyte, aquaphor

[glynn]

DD2 was 26 months when she came home. We needed everything..... The above is all good. Maybe some gift cards so she can get things on the fly also. We were always needing something for months after she came home.

[amberlyrose]

Feb 9, 2015 14:09:46 GMT -5 @jezebel said:

Is this someone in CO? Are either of the kiddos girls? Let me know if she needs stuff- I have tons of clothes and shoes and probably some toys or books or other things I could donate.

Yes Not sure the genders yet, but if one of them is a girl, I'm hitting you up!

[usuallylurking]

We love ikea's plates, bowls, cups and utensils for our boys. They've withstood many dishwasher washings and are cheap. We love the Nuby straw cups that "click to seal" that target has. They don't leak and have been great for all of the boys. We also have contigo water bottles that have been fantastic.

Car seats - they'll both need a 5-pt harness, I still rearface our 2 year old but they can both technically forward face. Once she finds out their heights and weights there are really helpful people on here who can make great recommendations.

Clothes - Carter's is having their president's day sale right now! Our 2 year old still wears footie pj's, but at 3 we had switched them into pant/shirt seperates.

My 2 year old is still in diapers... Costco sells Huggies. We use huggies overnights for nighttime diapers; I do subscribe and save off of amazon for them.

Duplos are a fantastic toy recommendation for that age group. Board books. Wooden puzzles. My 2 year old looooves animals. Crayons and coloring books.

Bedding. Does she have beds in general for them? Ikea's bunk beds (the pine one) have been awesome for my older 2 (4 and 2 when we switched them into it). And not very expensive! Of course they have other bed options, too.

Bath toys! Bath supplies - shampoo, lotion, washcloths, bubble bath, little toothbrushes and toothpaste, etc. A step stool for the bathroom - again, we got ours at IKEA and it has been great (and cheap!).

How exciting for your friend!