So your baby has officially turned into a toddler. This huge milestone in their life deserves some celebration! Don’t worry though, if you want to give your new toddler a gift, there a tons of practical gifts you can give, instead of just more “stuff” or toys (perfectly fine if you want to go that route too!).
I know first hand it’s so easy to accumulate a ton of stuff when you have a baby. Some of that stuff you end up not needing (like those five huge bottles of baby wash that you still have left over year later….). And don’t even get me started on the endless toys.
Not to worry though, it is totally possible to give your brand new toddler a gift while keeping it practical. After all, with a new stage in development comes tons of new “big boy/girl” daily activities.
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Practical Gifts for Your New Toddler
Once your baby becomes a toddler, a whole host of new daily activities begins, as well as tons of new possibilities.
“But hold on! When does my baby actually become a toddler?”
Good question! To be honest, there isn’t really a set age the definitively marks the time your baby reaches toddler-hood (is that a real word?). Instead, think of it as more of a developmental milestone.
The word toddler comes from the phase in a child’s life when they begin to walk (and the funny, wobbly way in which they do). So, whenever your little one is walking well may very well be when you can claim them to be a toddler.
Of course, this important development comes at many different ages for little ones. Some babies begin to walk around twelve months, others don’t reach that point until closer to eighteen months. My son was learning to walk around nine months, and is now just about running at thirteen months. It really all depends on the child!
For the purposes of this post, however, we’re going to count a toddler as a child who is at least eighteen months old. This is the age when all the restrictions previously put on them are lifted (such as no sleeping with bedding), and most children are either already walking or beginning to walk.
Without further ado, let’s get to the practical gifts you can give your new toddler!
Bedding
The first kind of practical gifts you can give your toddler is bedding.
Once your little one hits the eighteenth month mark, he/she is cleared from the no bedding rule. While bedding is a safety hazard for babies, toddlers are big enough and have enough control over their bodies to safely sleep with bedding.
When your little one is too big for his crib, you can move him to a toddler bed (or convert your crib, if it is a convertible one).
The crib we have is a Graco Freeport 4-in-1, so we plan to convert it to a toddler bed for him when he is ready to move up to a toddler bed. He already has this comfortable and safe mattress on his crib, and will keep it in his new toddler bed.
For Christmas this year we got him a couple blankets to use once he is using a toddler bed. We also found him a great Paw Patrol toddler pillow and matching blanket. I just know he’s going to love it!
Pajamas
I know, pajamas may not sound like anything special for a toddler. But, if you want to emphasize his grownup-ness to your toddler, feel free to grab him some “big boy” or “big girl” pajamas. A.K.A., two piece pajamas!
It may seem a small thing, but anything your little one perceives as a “big kid” thing to do will excite him. Of course, if your little one prefers to stay in footie pajamas a while longer, that’s totally fine too!
I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. When it comes to little kid clothes, I love Carter’s. I have found them to be quality clothes at a decent price. And, they have some super cute pajamas!
Hygiene Products
By now your little one should definitely have a few teeth. And with teeth comes the responsibility to brush them regularly to prevent cavities and tooth decay. (Even though they are baby teeth and they will lose them, it’s still important to take care of them!)
A great way to celebrate the jump to toddler status is to get your child a toothbrush for them to use. If they already have one, why not switch from a baby sized toothbrush to a toddler sized one?
You can also get your little ones a comb or brush to call their own. Now is a great time to start teaching your kids proper hygiene and self care.
Training Potty
With toddler-hood comes the next big milestone–potty training!
While it may be a daunting task, it is a necessary skill. Don’t feel rushed to get started. It’s better to wait until both you and your child seem ready before beginning the process.
If you do think your little one may be ready, training potty’s make a great practical gifts for toddlers. You can even let your little one help pick one out, which will only make him/her more excited to get started!
Personally, I’m looking into getting this one that looks like an actual toilet, but is toddler sized.
Underwear/Pullups
To go along with a new training potty, underwear and/or pullups make great practical gifts for your toddler.
These will also help to encourage your little one to get the hang of the process of using the bathroom instead of diapers.
Meal Time Items
Other practical items that make great toddler gifts are meal time utensils, plates, and cups.
By this time your little one should be eating solid foods (you may also still be nursing as well, and that is perfectly fine if that’s the case). To help your little one learn to eat like a “big kid”, why not get him toddler safe dishes to use?
When my toddler began routinely eating solids, we went ahead and got him these plates and bowls. What I love about these is that they suction to the table so your child won’t knock them off and spill all the food. How smart is that?!
We also got him one of these Munchkin 360 cups. It doesn’t have a spout, and therefore teaches him to use a cup just like he would a regular one. But, it’s spill proof so that if he drops it, it doesn’t spill all over the place.
Toddler Clothes
Last but not least, a great practical gifts to welcome your toddler into this new stage of life is new clothes.
Assuming your little one is big enough to fit into toddler sized clothes (totally okay if he/she isn’t there yet!), take the time to clear out all the baby sized clothes and get new clothes in toddler sizes.
Let your little one help with the project, and maybe even pick out a few outfits!
Know more practical gifts for toddlers? Share them with me in the comments below, or tag me on Instagram and show me! I would love to hear from you!
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