10 Gifts New Parents REALLY Want
Having a new baby, especially the first, you receive a lot of gifts. After going through the process of a new baby, there are gifts you wish people would have bought and some gifts people did buy, that you were so glad they did. Here is a list of the top 10 best gifts you can give new parents:
1. Second Pair of Hands: If it's your first baby, you are overwhelmed when you first come home. Gone are the nurses telling you what to do and when to do it. Then the sleep deprivation sets in and makes you even more confused. Even if you have been through this process before, you now have a newborn who needs your undivided attention, but yet you have to divide this with other children at home. Having someone to stay overnight at your house a couple of days is a huge help.
2. Decoder of Baby Equipment: When I had my first child, for the life of me, I could not figure out how to change the Diaper Genie. I also could not understand how to adjust the settings on the swing. One of my friends came over and showed me how to use all these new items I registered for, but really have no idea how to put into action.
3. Clothes Past Newborn Size: After our first child was born, we received a lot of baby clothes which I was so grateful to have. The problem was they were all newborn or zero to three-month size. If you are a parent, you know babies do not wear these for too long. It's super helpful to new parents to buy clothes in bigger sizes. Then they will have clothes the baby can wear down the road.
4. Food: When you get home after having a new baby, the last thing you want to do is figure out what to feed yourselves. I had friends bring me some pre-made meals I could simply reheat in the oven. It was one of the best gifts I received.
5. Gift Cards For Delivery or Groceries: Another option along the lines of pre-made meals, are food gift cards. A simple pizza gift card is a great option or one for a grocery delivery service like Peapod. New parents are in hibernation mode the first few days so it's nice to have food brought in.
6. Diapers: This is not something you really think to register for and you soon realize how many diapers newborns go through in those first few weeks. Buying a couple packs of diapers will save new parents money they will need to spend and time to go out and buy them.
7. Sleep: If this is a parents' first baby, the lack of sleep is a new phenomenon. Or if this is a new sibling, they will need to care for other children while attending to a newborn. I will never forget the hospital calling me after our third child was born and asking if I was resting while the baby was taking a nap. This is easier said than done with two other toddlers in the house. Instead of actually buying a gift, see if you can come over to help and let the new parents sleep. Or see if you can take the older children someplace and let the new parents nap while the infant is sleeping.
8. Errand Runner: After coming home from the hospital, new parents soon realize they may need items for the baby that they didn't know they needed or for themselves. For example, we realized we needed a nightlight in our room. One of our friends called and asked if there was anything we needed. It's a great gift just having someone who can get little items you need during those first few days.
9. A Shoulder To Lean On: A combination of hormones, sleep deprivation and navigating a newborn's schedule, those first few months are hard. If you have been there before, simply calling new parents to check-in is a gift in itself. I found my friends didn't want to bother us the first few days, but I started calling them right away. I needed to talk to people who had been through this before and know I was on the right path and get questions answered.
10. Date On The Calendar: Whether this is a first baby for parents or a fifth, newborns demand undivided attention during those first few weeks. Even though friends and family are stopping in periodically, it's nice to have plans for a future get together. I found an infant was a huge adjustment at first and was glad we had time to bond with all our children, but also felt a bit out of our social circles. It was nice when one of our friends suggested a date we could all get together for dinner.
