Stocking stuffers for kids #smilehood #ad
This post has been sponsored by Orajel™. All opinions are my own.
“All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth” is the current theme song in our household because, guess what? Someone has two brand new teeth! The night the first tooth finally broke through, we pulled out her toothbrush and started massaging her gums. She absolutely loves having her teeth “brushed” and her big brother even likes helping us with this new routine.
And while the baby has two new (front!) teeth, during our son’s most recent dentist visit this month his dentist noticed that he has two wiggly teeth! Looks like we’ll be losing teeth soon, almost as fast as our little girl is pushing them through.
With Christmas less than two weeks away, I’m trying to finish our shopping and putting stockings together. I think stockings for kids can be SO fun – and useful! I have tried to be fairly intentional with our stockings over the years, while also incorporating traditional items I used to receive as a kid. Also, stocking stuffers don’t have to break the bank. My son sometimes gets more excited over his stocking that most of his toys under the treat.
For my son, he’ll be receiving a new toothbrush, fun toothpaste, a cool Star Wars flashlight (I’ve seen some at Target and KMart and they’re roughly $5), stickers, a Star Wars stationery set (pencils, a sharpener and a pad of paper) and fruit! I remember we used to get an apple, an orange and nuts (still in shells) in our stockings and it was pretty cool. I have some Halos that my son enjoys, so those will be in the stocking. He also loves cracking nuts, so he might be getting nuts and possibly a new nutcracker (tradition in the making, for sure!) If I can find a small nutcracker, that’ll definitely be added. I remember my brother getting a nutcracker at Christmas and he had a few he collected over the years.
The toothbrush and toothpaste are going to be so important this holiday season, as I remind him to brush his teeth often. With so many parties and candy offered every time we turn around, we have to keep the sugar at bay and keep up with our daily habits of teeth brushing.
My son may also be sharing the Nighttime Orajel™ – the dentist let us know that his permanent molars are coming in, and he’s been complaining about some pain. (I thought this was more of a sign that he needed extra help with brushing, but one of his new molars had already come in and the second one was just under his gums.)
My daughter will obviously be receiving very different items since she can’t eat nuts, apples or oranges. When my son was 18 months, he got a mini Elmo plush in his stocking, so baby girl may be receiving an Abby in hers this year. She’s also receiving a new teething ring and Orajel™ teething gel. Her top teeth are not far behind her bottom teeth in coming in, and we need all the help and Christmas cheer we can get with this one! She will also be receiving a new toothbrush and toothpaste to use very soon now that the teeth are here and we need to keep them sparkling clean! And since she won’t have the same treats as her big brother, I’ll make sure she has plenty of the Baby Mum-Mums.
Many of the items I purchased (with the exception of their toothbrushes and toothpaste) were between $1 and $5. I don’t think I paid more than $5 for any of the items, which is how I like to keep things.
What kinds of treats/toys do you like to include for your child’s stocking?
I’m excited to be part of the Orajel™ Smilehood community – a group of moms promoting healthy smiles and oral hygiene. I’ll be sharing my stories and tips over the next several months – and hopefully learning some new tricks and techniques as we navigate parenting an infant again. Read my previous posts about Keeping Smiles Sparkling, Preparing for Baby (and Teething), Caring for Baby Teeth and Gums, Be Prepared for Picture Day and Spread Smiles for World Kindness Day.