How about:
a savings bond
books

Books are a great gift for any child!

Because of family problems, a savings bond with his name and your name would be a good idea. Put the bond away, send a card to child's parents (both mother and father) saying happy birday and a bond has been purchased (for 25.00, which should get you a 50.00 bond, whick he will receive on his 21st birthday, Keep it in a safe place, and oh yes, you will need his social security number for this bond. Be firm with your sister and tell her your feelings.
All else fails, a nice card will do.

Oh well, the savings bond thought is out the window due to needing an SS# - I won't be able to get that. The book idea is good.

Any more ideas. Thanks.

I'm going to a 1 year old's birthday party in a few weeks and have decided to get him some swimming trunks and a pool toy or towel. I know he will get lots of toys and clothes, but I doubt anyone else would think of swimming items in March. His DGM has a pool which he will be in a lot..so I think it all will be well used.

I'm not saying this is a great idea, just something different and it works in my particular case.

You can buy a savings bond using your own Social Security Number and have it issued as a "gift" bond. I used to give bonds for my newborn neices and nephews. When I got married, I cashed in some bonds I had held since chilDhood. They added up to thousands, I used them toward a down payment on a house!

I could be wrong, but I think they changed the 'gift' savings bond situation. These days you do have to have the recipient's SS#

How about getting him a silver Eagle coin? They're in the ballpark pricewise. The coin is silver so it has intrinsic value, it's collectible, and could eventually start him on the path to a fun hobby. There are other silver coins, too (Canadian Maple Leafs; Chinese Pandas; Australian Kookaburra's; and my personal favorite--the Mexican Libertad).

My son really started liking puzzles around that age. The wooden ones that have the little knobs to pull the piece out. There's typically about 6-7 pieces in one puzzle.

My BIL sends the kids increments to the state quarters each year as they come out. They are enclosed in a plastic cases with each years state quarters. Eventually each child will have a full set.

If you are estranged, why are you buying a gift?

This is a serious question from me, because I'm not estranged from any of my siblings, but I never buy their children presents. Granted, in my case, I have 7 siblings, and most of them have children. (13 last count, with another due soon.) That's a lot of presents each year, especially with the many occasions, and we can't afford it. $25/present/kid x 3 occasions/year - I could fund a retirement account on that.

Unless I am especially close to a family member, or they will be visiting me during a gift-giving occasion, we don't exchange gifts. None of us regret this, either. Parents give the gifts, and aunts and uncles give good wishes.

How about a little photo album with pictures of the family that he doesn't/won't see. Put names and b'days and how they are related to him on the back.

A collection of Robert Munsch books. Great for all ages!

I like give token gifts particully at the first birthday because the party isn't for the baby, it's for the parents. For the child, I'd recommend a book called "Clap Your Hands" by Lorinda Bryan Cauley. It's interactive and fun. You might send a small token gift to mom and dad for making it through the first year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Clap Your Hands

See if you like anything here at Baby Einstein
The music is great but would depend on mom/dad playing it for him.

A little red wagon. A little, simple riding toy, not one that requires the rider to push pedals.

I don't want to appear stupid, but do babies get a SSN when they are born down there? Up here, you have to wait until you are 16 to get your number...
Regarding the gift - it's always so hard when there is no contact with the child due to family troubles. I have the same situation with my Niece and her two little ones thanks to my sister who was born angry...
anyway - what about opening the little one a savings account, and every occasion that you feel you would like to get him something you could deposit the amount you would spend in his account. You could send a card and say that you have deposited such and such. Set up the account so that he can access it when he is old enough - and only you and he can ever access it, not the parents.
It would be neat for him to see as an adult or older teenager that you have been thinking of him all these years and depositing on his behalf every birthday, christmas, etc.
Suzan J

u.s. babies are issued a ss at birth...i buy bonds all the time for the grands, and use my ss #...it's in their name, with mom/dad listed as beneficary...i have them sent to my house as most my kids don't have a lock box...

as for baby boy and since it's around easter, what about a precious moments children's bible? you can find them with a blue cover...(pink for girls) or something meaningful of the family's religion?

my dgs latest "toy" he loves is that shopping cart, with the plastic food...they have one actually made in the usa, so you don't have to worry about him chewing on toxic toys...

or how about asking grandma what movies he/family like?

if all else fails, a gift cert is a nice idea from any number of places...$35 is a great deal for a bday present...

I'm with mary_c. If you're estranged, why are you stressing over this?? I do not buy b'day gifts for my great-nephews/nieces & have had to quit doing for Christmas.
And there's no way I'd ever be able to spend 35 or more per child.

However, if you still feel you must do something, go the savings acct route. One g'dau is very unappreciative so I opened a savings acct for my gr-g'son for his Christmas & will add to it this year. Until g'dau gives me his SSN, his amt. is a 'sub-account' to my savings acct, & his mother cannot touch it. If left as it, when I die, the administrator of my estate can put it into an acct just for the gr-g'son. I expect to do the same with a sibling due any day. The mother, sadly, just does not appreciate gifts. This way, I can put back some for him/them to have when they turn 18. My g'dau knows about the account, but she does NOT know the $$$ nor will I tell her.

sjarz: You CAN get a SIN here in Canada as soon as the child is born. For banking reasons and if they work (commercials, tv etc)....just have to fill out the paperwork.

SJarz--US children have to have SS#'s so you can claim them as dependents upon your taxes. As far as I know (unless things have changed) they aren't automatically issued at birth. The parents have to apply for them--but most parents do, because they're needed for so many things (taxes as I said), enrollment in school, bank accounts in the child's name, etc.

The best gift you can give this child, is to resolve
the differences between the two parties.

I sent this to my girlfriend's daughter for her son. It is his favorite book, because it has his name in the story.
Hope this helps.
http://www.iseeme.com/?gclid=CInkx4v70JECFQgRGgodNwsfyA

Some good suggestions. Thanks all.

Maryc - Some families buy gifts and others do not. We generally do for the young ones. I've decided to be the bigger person here as NOT to forget my great nephew's first BD even though I haven't seen him.

Jayokie - Who says I'm stressing over this issue? Certainly not me! That was your term. I asked a question in regard to ideas. I wouldn't call that stress; I'd call that *asking for advice on buying a nice gift for a baby*!

Frost - It takes both sides to willingly WANT to resolve the issues at hand. Without that, it just won't happen. So, that wonderful suggestion is out the window.

Well who knew - you guys apparently and not me, can't imagine filing for my kiddo's ss # at birth...but whatever works.
It's sad that families are at odds like this, but certainly not uncommon. I think it's nice that 'i love' can put the troubles aside and remember her great nephew, even if the adults aren't adult enough to be adult about it...
Suzan J

if he's spoiled by grandma, then honestly his parents don't need more stuff in their house. Ask me how I know.

My vote: buy him a neat book (I like "Jiggle, Joggle, Jee" for little bitty ones--great, great rhythm.

And send cash or savings bond. Make an overture to the parents, as well as the little one. I don't know if they're part of the estrangement or not, but they're certainly a nice "audience" for that gift.

My kids got many bonds as gifts thru the years and because they did not have SS#'s yet they were issued in their names with me or DH as co-owner and used our SS#'s. The down side was, that when they were cashed, the person whose SS#'s was on the bond had to pay taxes on the interest earned on the bond over the years.
Kathy G in MI