One of the first baby showers I ever went to was about 12 years ago. I can’t remember what I bought my friend Ayanna for her son but I do remember being overwhelmed trying to find things off the registry. Now I can draw a map of Baby’s R Us in my sleep. My favorite part of the shower was the opening of the gifts. All the oooh’s and ahhhh’s as she held up one precious item after another. I thought baby showers were the best….until my 100th one. J
Here are a few gift ideas for the lost. I used every single item from my first baby shower. We didn’t know the sex of the baby so everyone bought practical stuff instead of the froo froo fun stuff. I was so thankful because practical is my middle name.
10. Diaper clutch
These days, moms either want a chic diaper bag or no diaper bag at all. For the mom that still wants to carry her purse, a diaper clutch is the perfect gift. Most diaper clutches hold wipes and diapers all in one convenient satchel that you can just throw in your purse. They are easy to get to when you only have one hand to work with and come in beautiful prints. Cute enough that you can carry it by itself.
9. Medicine & First Aid kits
This is my girlfriend Errika’s signature gift. With all the mini ailments and accidents our little ones face, it’s nice to have a variety of products at your fingertips to combat the sniffles and cuts or scratches so you don’t have to run out to CVS in the middle of the night. Baby’s R Us has an array of kits to choose from in various price ranges. Most kits come equipped with band-aids, some type of cough medicine, diaper rash crème, and gas relief medicine.
8. Books
My friend Tracy loves giving books. Books are usually the forgotten gift. Rarely do you see anyone opening a package with a baby book in it but they make such a great gift. Our little ones need their own library. Help them start their collection, which hopefully turns into a love of reading. You can find a couple of super cute and original books in my online store. What’s on the must have list? Goodnight Moon, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Runaway Bunny, and anything Dr. Seuss.
7. Stroller
Big-ticket items relieve a lot of stress off of the parents. If you can’t afford to get a big-ticket item like a stroller by yourself, join forces with one or two friends in order to buy one. A lot of people race to the $5 and $10 items first on the registry leaving things like strollers for the mom and dad to be to purchase. Really, they want to get those big-ticket items out of the way. I was blessed to receive not one but TWO strollers at my shower. One was a light, easy-to-get around stroller that cost around 40 bucks. My mom purchased the other $200 stroller. Silly me. I thought because it cost more it would be better. It ended up being challenging to maneuver and I found myself using the less expensive one more frequently.
6. Swing/bouncy chair
These are close to being the best things ever invented. Swings and bouncy chairs are like an extra set of hands when you need them. When you’re home alone with the baby and want to take a shower or put away some dishes or just take a break, put the bambino in the swing or bouncy chair, set it as high as it can go, and watch that little sucka fall asleep. I remember venting to one of my girlfriends how tired I was and she asked if I had used my swing yet. I had not so I gave it a try. It became my best friend. Two thumbs up to the person who buys the swing or bouncy chair.
5. Diapers
Parents can NEVER have too many diapers. NEVER. There’s no such thing. He who buys the diaper will be remembered forever. My girlfriends Jinah and Angie were my s-heros back in 2002 when they came fully armed with diapers.
4. Car Seat
You can’t bring your baby home from the hospital without a car seat. They just will not let you leave. Car seats are essential and relatively affordable. This is another one of those gifts that will help relieve the stress the parents-to-be face. Sometimes people register for two car seats – an infant seat and toddler seat that generally goes through the toddler years. Opt for the infant seat. This is the one they’ll need right away and will be able to use for a good year if they’re lucky.
3. Onesies
Onesies are like diapers. You can never have too many onesies especially the first year of baby’s life. Babies poop on themselves, spit up their food, and collect foreign matter unknown to man. It is nothing for me to go through 5-6 onesies in a 24-hour time period. I was fortunate this time around to have a couple from church pass down, I kid you not, a trash bag full of baby clothes – mainly onesies. My suggestion is buy any of the above and throw in a 5 pack of onesies for good measure. If you’re just doing onesies alone, buy them in ascending ages (small pack for 0-3 months, medium pack for 3-6 months, large pack for 6-12 months).
2. Handmade anything
If you are crafty, use your craft. The most memorable gifts are the ones made by hand. My friend Jewel, who is more of an acquaintance friend than a chat on the phone friend, handmade the most beautiful baby’s blanket for my first baby shower. It touched my heart so. Number one, I couldn’t believe she took the time to make something by hand for me. Number two, I felt like I was truly in her thoughts as that blanket came together. Hand made gifts are the ones that people cherish for years to come.
1. Money
Money. Dinero. Cold hard cash. Dolla dolla bill y’all. This is the total opposite of number two. You don’t have to put any thought or time into putting money in a card but when parents-to-be are preparing for a baby, the money constantly flies out the door. And it doesn’t stop when the baby arrives. Although money may be impersonal, I think many parents-to-be appreciate it. I would not suggest the money gift if it’s for a close friend unless you’re attaching something more personal with it.
*Bonus Gift*
If this is not the first baby for your friend, a good idea is to get a big brother/big sister gift for the little one(s) they already have. It doesn’t have to be anything big or fancy, just something that says you are not forgotten. It’s important that big brother or big sister to be goes into their role as the older sibling without animosity. There’s nothing cuter than the look on a kid’s face when they get an unexpected gift. If the kid is under 6, you can wrap a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy topped with a big bow and it will be like Christmas.
Stick to the practical gifts on the registry. First time parents especially know not what they’re getting into and need a little guidance. What baby shower gifts do you like to give?
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