Gifting for infants made easy
Buying gifts for new-born babies is a treat for some people and an absolute chore for others. For some it is a case of, ‘anything will do, the baby won’t know the difference anyway,’ while for others it is the opportunity to give a gift that will shape a life and be remembered forever. The latter option is undoubtedly the better one because as we all know giving gifts is as much about the thought that goes into them as anything else, and just because a baby is too small to be able to say thank you or comment doesn’t mean that you must treat the gifting any less thoughtfully. And remember, when getting a gift for a baby you are essentially giving a present to the parents as well – and they will know what sort of effort and thought has been put into the purchase. So, if you are heading out to buy a present for a young baby, here are a few tips for useful gifts.
Be practical
No baby is born with interests of it own or things of which it is particularly fond. But it does go through the same development stages as all other babies before it. So, apply this knowledge to your purchase and buy accordingly. How about something like a teething giraffe for those awkward nights when the pearly-whites start to break through the gums? Mobiles are also great ideas. The developmental psychologist Piaget wrote reams of research o show how important visual stimulation was for babies, noting specifically that mobiles aided the development process. Again, it is another idea that takes into account the stages of infant development and plays to them.
Match cute with cute
‘I’ll see your cute baby and raise you a fluffy toy.’ Babies love to cuddle, and they tend to become very attached to their cuddly toys. This is a gift that could be the best ever or which might fail dismally. The reason for this is twofold, children love to cuddle but they tend to bond with specific toys, not all toys. So, if your toy makes the grade it will sleep many nights alongside baby, cuddled and loved and it is threadbare and worn. However, if it fails to make the grade for some reason your bear will sit atop the bookshelf cute, but unloved. Added to this possibility is the fact that cuddly toys are popular gifts and as such baby may well be given a few of them – so the choice is big.
Books
We know that the new-born cannot read yet, but that really doesn’t matter. Books are gifts of bonding and intelligence. Studies have shown that children who are read to are smarter than those who aren’t, and it is also a great time and way for parents and babies to spend time together and to bond. The books will become old and familiar but the prospect of spend quality lifestyle with mom or dad never gets old – well at least not until they are teenagers!
