I felt so spoilt when a friend organised a small baby shower get together the week before AJ was born, it’s not often (at least in my experience) that Baby #2 receives such special attention, and it was nice to take some time out of the nesting frenzy to sit, chat and enjoy morning tea with some wonderful mama friends. I received some really precious and thoughtful gifts when both Immy and AJ were born (as well as being someone who loves to buy gifts for new bubbas) and thought I would share five of my favourite ideas for baby shower gifts…
5 BABY SHOWER GIFT IDEAS
1. Picture Books: My favourite gift to give at baby showers, especially for #1 babies, is picture books. Reading is so important to child development and good quality books truly keep on giving for years to come. I generally choose a selection of well known titles as well as books my small girl has loved for the expanding family to enjoy together. Some of my favourites include;
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? or The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
- Who Sank the Boat? or either of the Grandpa and Thomas titles by Pamela Allen
- Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins
- Hairy Macleary from Donaldson’s Dairy by Lynley Dodd
- Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss
- Where is the Green Sheep? or Time for Bed by Mem Fox
- Any of the Maisy books by Lucy Cousins
- A selection of the ‘When I’m Feeling…’ books by Trace Moroney
Alternatively, you might like to gift an illustrated collection of fairy tales or nursery rhymes or a classic series, like the stories of The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton, for the family to enjoy once bubs is a little older.
2. Handmade: I love the thoughtfulness of a handmade gift and have so many talented, creative friends ~ AJ has received some beautifully sewn gifts and a painted canvas, and my grandmother is crocheting a special something for the nursery. If you can sew, embroider, draw, paint, collage, knit or crochet then why not use your skills to make a perfectly unique gift.
3. Pledge a meal: This is one I struggle to give (I am such an unconfident cook) but love to receive! Providing a meal takes the pressure off both the new mama and papa for a night which is sure to be appreciated at a time when both are likely to be tired and eating well is so important.
4. Feeding basket: What about a basket of goodies for the new mama to enjoy during the long hours of sitting still and feeding?!?! Suggestions to include (depending upon what she likes, of course) ~ her favourite TV series on DVD (thanks to my friend Danimezza for this fantastic suggestion), a pile of glossy mags related to her interests, a novel (maybe something light and easy to read), a selection of easy to eat and nutritious snacks (some nice crackers and cheeses or dips, fresh seasonal fruit, nuts and seeds, muesli bars, dried fruit, etc), a pretty, refillable water bottle, burp cloth, breast pads, a pretty scarf to use as a breastfeeding cover, nursing bracelet, notebook and pen, an iTunes gift card.
5. Cleaner: An extravagance most definitely but perfect from a large group of friends or work colleagues, a voucher for a month’s worth of weekly visits by a cleaner has to be the ultimate gift for a newly expanded family. I was so fortunate to receive this as a gift from my colleagues and some of my clients when Immy was born and I can’t tell you what a difference it made, especially once my Mum who was staying with us returned home and Dad 101 returned to work and I was learning to negotiate full time motherhood alone.
What are your favourite baby shower gifts to give?
Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.
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