Unique Gifts for New Parents
New parents are often inundated with practical gifts: baby clothes, diapers, bottles. Although these gifts help ease a new family’s financial burden, they do not bring the same joy that unique gifts can produce. Unique gifts tell the recipient that you spent a lot of time thinking about the present. They also ensure that your friends will not be stuck with five diaper cakes and countless yellow onesies.
Services
New parents have a lot on their plates. Midnight feedings, frequent diaper changes and many sleepless nights leave little time for these busy parents to tend to their daily chores and needs. Help a new family by easing their daily burdens. Consider hiring a house cleaner to tidy up, or take it upon yourself to make a few easy-to-reheat homemade meals. These gestures will help fatigued parents adjust to their new lives. Other ideas include diaper service, baby-sitting and grocery delivery.
Pampering
Few new parents remember to take a minute for themselves in the first few months of a baby’s life. However, when the chaos begins to clear and the baby establishes his sleeping habits, the parents should have a way to decompress. Help them to relax by pampering them. Spa gift certificates, aromatherapy candles, in-home massages or even a good book will go a long way in relaxing a stressed-out mom or dad. Alternately, Babyzone suggests creating an at-home date night by purchasing a gift certificate to a restaurant that delivers and a few movies. This will help the couple to reconnect after a long day of swabbing up spittle.
Memories
Babies have a way of turning ordinary people into shutterbugs. Help feed this obsession by purchasing a new digital camera and memory card for the family. If you suspect they are not in need of a new camera, arrange a professional photo session. This is a classy way to capture fleeting memories of a tiny newborn. If your budget is a bit tinier, consider a scrapbook, picture frame or even a hand- and footprint casting kit. The parents will cherish these mementos for a long time.
Lighthearted Gifts
Not all unique gifts for new parents put emphasis on the stress that a newborn baby can cause. Babies are also a lot of fun, and you can get unique gifts that reflect that. There are many funny books, quirky diaper bag sets and amusing accessories available to fit any budget. However, if you like the idea of a gag gift but feel a need to purchase something practical, many mothers on the Berkeley Parent’s Network say that they have enjoyed receiving care packages complete with both practical and funny gifts. Get creative, and assemble a special package with a little something for everyone.
