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Baby Gifts: What Are Some Favorites to Give and Receive?
The birth of a new baby is a joyous event for almost everyone—from parents and grandparents to neighbors, friends, and colleagues. Once the happy news is known, many people want to purchase a gift, but what to send? We asked some parents of young children to name their favorite gifts to give and to receive. The gifts fell into several categories.
Clothing
Probably the most traditional baby gift is clothing. Parents love to receive baby clothes that their infant can wear immediately, but the little ones grow so quickly that newborn-sized clothes are often outgrown in a matter of weeks. Therefore, several parents suggested sending clothing in a larger size for the baby to grow into. Other clothing ideas include:
- A sweater with a little hood and a zipper up the back, so you don’t have to put it over the baby’s head
- A little fall/spring jacket in size 2 that can be worn for several months
- A box of socks in every style, weight, and design (from plain white to holiday themes) and for all ages from birth to age five
- A sweater or other clothing monogrammed with the baby’s name
- Sleepers
- Clothing in a color other than pink for a baby girl or blue for a boy
Baby Equipment
There is so much baby equipment available now and much of it is costly, so parents surely appreciate receiving some as gifts. Items mentioned included:
- A "diaper genie"
- Several washable cotton receiving blankets
- A mobile
- A rocking chair
- Personalized blankets, including those that look like bunnies, bears and lions that will, inevitably, become the child’s lovey" (fortunately, designed to be both washable and indestructible)
- Lamps for the nursery (one favorite is a lamp that spins from the heat of the light bulb and casts beautiful shadows as it rotates for the baby to watch)
- A bath towel set, perhaps monogrammed with the child’s name
- Tapes of lullabies for the baby (or music tapes such as Raffi)
- A special tooth fairy pillow
- A silver ring rattle from Tiffany’s (one mother reported that all three of her children had loved this rattle as infants and that it would become a family heirloom)
Books
A gift that has grown in popularity recently is books, both for the baby and for the new parents. Ideas include:
- A basket of board books, containing classics such as Good Night, Moon; Pat the Bunny; Jamberry; Brown Bear (see the article on page 5 for more book suggestions)
- A beautiful edition of Mother Goose.
- Books on parenting, such as: What to Expect: The First Year and What to Expect: The Toddler Years (other favorites are books by Penelope Leach or Dr. Berry Brazelton)
- For a humorous look at parenting, try The Girlfriend’s Guide series, She’s Having a Baby and I’m Having a Breakdown (for dads), or Dave Barry’s Babies and Other Hazards of Sex
Other ideas
- Film and a photo album
- A gift certificate to purchase needed items
- Small gifts for older siblings
- Items of clothing or furniture that once belonged to the new baby’s parents when they were children (refurbished by grandparents)
- An evening of babysitting
- A prepared dinner (and/or a casserole for the freezer!)
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