Question about gifts for a new baby?

[Nader Raider Tim]

Let me preface this by saying I am horrible with things like this. I never know what is socially expected / accepted.

 

My brother is having his first kid tonight, just called me and told me he's heading to the hospital. In the morning I'll be heading to the hospital to see him and the kid but I don't have any clue on the gifting etiquette in that situation. I should have asked around earlier than last minute but I thought I had an extra week or 2.

 

So what would be a nice gift, or is this not a gifting situation? (Balloons and the like aren't something I'd want to give)

[trwi7]

I've never given stuff for this before, but maybe clothes for the baby? I would probably just give money. I don't know if that's socially accepted, but my thinking is that way the parents can get whatever they want with that money.

 

If you can, maybe volunteer to watch the baby for a night while they go out and they can just have a night between themselves.

[nodakfan17]

I work part time at a department store. When people come in to buy gifts for newborns, they usually try to find the "cutest outfits" that we sell. Most parents wind up with way too many outfits and very few basic items like onesies, socks, and burp cloths. Babies grow fast. The child may only get to wear the outfit once or twice (if at all). A gift card would probably be the most practical gift. If you feel that it is too impersonal, ask a store clerk for help with picking out some basics for a newborn. Here is a checklist that I found online that lists a lot of these basic items:

 

http://baby-checklists.yeahbaby.com/article.php?page=62

[Invader3K]

Buy some booze for the parents.

 

OK, in all seriousness, I have no idea.

[Beerambassador]

People mostly gave us clothing, which like an above poster said, he hardly got to wear. Somebody brought a real football (i.e. not kiddie rubber toy football), which I thought was really nice and more thoughtful than clothing. Kid won't get to use it anytime soon, but it's a nice gift reminding a new dad of what him and his son have to look forward to.

 

Booze is always a nice gift...but I was so sleep deprived that I think a single beer would have knocked me out.

[burniebrewer]

Diapers (some parents may have a preference though), wipes, onesies....

 

You could always do a gift card for Target, then they can pick out whatever they need.

[colbyjack]

There's nothing wrong with a Target gift card. They are very helpful for the endless trips to the store for the items everyone else mentioned above. I agree that the essentials usually are more valued by the parents (well, at least the dads) than cute outfits.

 

May I suggest taking your brother and the mom something to eat? Mom should get her food for free from the hospital, but I know I only got one meal the days I was in for my two kids. A couple of subs, a bucket of chicken or a pizza would probably be appreciated more than you would think.

[pretendastronaut]

If it's their first kid, they have enough going on at the hospital already, that you don't really have to worry about a gift like that at the moment.

 

As for the gift, not only do you get far to many clothes, they probably already have far to many if they had any baby showers. Figure out a gift, and take it there after they get home. Target gift cards were awesome for us to go stock up on supplies. Otherwise they probably had a registry somewhere as well, possibly at Target or Babies'r'Us, which you could check and see what they still need.

[Nader Raider Tim]

Thanks for the input. I never thought about picking up clothes because they have a foolish amount of it. The registry was emptied out during the baby shower so that is out. Diapers are out because they are going with cloth diapers. (Eww)

 

 

I think I will pick up a Shopko Gift Card and a picture frame. I hate giving just a gift card, I know it shouldn't seem weird but I've just got it ingrained in my head that it is to impersonal. The football is also a nice idea as a keepsake-ish thing. I may pick up something like that too.

[1992casey]

Books are cool gifts.

[pretendastronaut]

We do cloth diapers as well, trust me, there are still plenty of things to spend money on. I'm with you in that I typically hate giving gift cards because of the impersonal aspect, but man all of those Target gift cards we got where a godsend.

[DatHoser]

A gift card an cloth diapers and you're set. Cloth diapers are awesome - and we've never used them as diapers. They've been impromptu burp rags, blankets, changing mats, pillows, and probably 20 other things I can't think of off-hand.

[John Brew]

Congrats on your niece/nephew. Perhaps baby's first bobblehead :-) I second colbyjack, we had people bring us a pan of lasagna, bagels and cream cheese, etc. It is incredibly nice not to have to worry about a few meals.

[Diskono]

If they don't already have one, get a sling to carry the baby around in. They're awesome, something that a lot of people don't always think of, and I think they're about $30 at Target.

[I Heart Brewers]

I'll second the gift card idea - Target, Diapers.com, Baby's R Us. Also, meals are also an awesome idea. Something you can throw in their freezer and then they have dinner for a night. We had a few people do that for us and it was great. We have a two month old and a two and half year old and both gifts were much appreciated and the thing at least I remember most.

[brucrustu]

we had people bring us a pan of lasagna, bagels and cream cheese, etc. It is incredibly nice not to have to worry about a few meals.

I agree with the food idea. It is more personal than a gift card, and will be well used. The farm community has done this forever, and for any reason. If my Mom hears someone: died, was born, is sick, is divorced, is getting married, is baptized, is confirmed, is graduating, etc. There is a lasagna going in the oven and there is no stopping it.

[logan82]

Do the gift card idea. There is always stuff that babies go through like diapers and such. They grow so quickly though that they may outgrow diapers if you just by that.

[RayKingsForemanGrill]

As the father of a four week old, I'd suggest this: 1: Our brother-in-law brought us food. Non-hospital food. That was awesome. 2: Diapers. Practical. Expensive (but not if you just buy a package or two). We love when people give us diapers.

[burniebrewer]

They grow so quickly though that they may outgrow diapers if you just by that.

Those little bundles of joy are poop machines. I couldn't believe how often I had to buy diapers and they're not cheap, so I was happy to have as many as possible.

 

One time, Toys R Us had a closeout sale on warehouse-club size boxes of diapers, so I bought 3 boxes. It seemed like a lot, but I swear I was buying diapers again only weeks later.

[PaulRigdon]

Target gift card or a gift card to a restaurant so the parents can go out for a night....