Selecting the Right Baby Shower Gift for a Colleague
Baby showers have long been an opportunity to celebrate the impending arrival of a bundle of joy, and to give gifts to the parents to be that are useful and will come in handy for their baby. Gifts can be anything from items that babies will use in their first few months or year, or they can be more creative, such as a keepsake that the parents can treasure for years to come. The ones who are inclined to innovations, prefer to give baby gear as a gift such as baby cameras to track sleeping or soothing baby sound machines. Among more traditional gifts are baby blankets, cribs, and baby tableware. In fact, this last has become a very famous gift idea in recent years. For picky eaters, cute-shaped plates have become trendy, so this is also something to consider. Baby plates with suction are also a great option for gifts, as they are extremely helpful for babies who like to throw everything away.
If you’re trying to come up with that perfect baby shower gift for a colleague, you may be going back and forth on what route to take – the traditional gift or something a bit more unique? Not to worry as we’re here to help you out by giving you tips on how to select the right baby shower gift.
Stick to the Registry
The first tip is to ask if there is a gift registry already set up and then select an item off the registry. A registry is made up of all the things the parents-to-be want and need so at least you know your gift will be appreciated. Plus, as the items are purchased by people, they are removed from the list, so this prevents any duplicate gifts from occurring.
You can click here to read the top 10 baby shower registries, as there’s a good chance the parents-to-be are registered on one of these. Some even have the option to request a cash gift, which means you don’t have to select a gift – rather, you can gift them with cash. Just be sure to pull up the gift registry on your smartphone while in the store shopping so you know what you’re looking for.
Create Your Own Baby Shower Gift Basket
Maybe you’re the type who is more creative-minded and likes to give more personalized gifts. If that’s the case, then the baby registry may seem to generic to you. Creating your own baby shower gift basket filled with all kinds of goodies could be a perfect option. With this gift you can create the basket all on your own, or this could be a joint gift from multiple co-workers who all chip in. This allows you to create an even bigger basket filled with more items.
As for what to pop in the basket, a good place to start is by picking a theme. This will help you to narrow down the choices and make the basket make more sense. For example, maybe you want to go with a diaper basket. If that’s the case, the basket itself could be a diaper bin, and then you can fill it with different sized diapers, wipes, and diaper cream. You can check out this post for more tips on a diaper-themed basket.
Other themes could be cozy sleeper pajamas, baby toys and activities, feeding gear and accessories, bedding, and anything else that pops to mind.
Choose a Gender Specific Gift If Possible
These days, many couples are choosing to learn the gender of their baby before they are born, and before the baby shower happens, which can make gift buying a little easier. If you do know the gender of the baby, then you can customize the gift a little bit more.
Don’t Just Focus on Newborn Items
One thing that people often do for baby shower gifts is focus on clothing, diapers, toys, and accessories for newborns. The problem is that babies grow so fast, especially in those first few weeks and months, that they may not get much use out of the newborn items. In fact, depending on their birth weight, newborn sleepers and diapers may already be too small.
So, what’s the best solution? Try sizing up. Opt for the items that are meant for six months and older. By then the couple has likely gone through their initial supply of clothing and diapers, so that gives them something to reach for and use as their baby grows.
Steer Clear of Nursery Decor Items
It’s also a good idea to steer clear of any nursery decor items, unless they are on the registry. The fact is that you don’t likely know how the parents-to-be have chosen to decorate the nursery and getting a mish-mash of items that don’t really match up with their style just won’t be useful. It’s also not a very practical gift, meaning it’s not serving a function, so it just won’t be the homerun kind of gift you’re hoping for.
Tips You Can Count On
These tips will help to make the baby shower gift much easier to find and purchase, and will ensure that what you gift to your colleague will not only be appreciated, but will be extremely useful for the parents-to-be. And don’t be afraid to put your own personal touch on each of the ideas.
