5 Gift Ideas for New Parents

When a new baby arrives, everyone showers him or her with gifts. But what about mom, who just spent 9 months pregnant and spent hours in labor? Or dad, exhausted from waking up to change the baby? Here are some gift ideas for new parents.

Gift Card

The new parents will eventually need some time to go out together and reconnect. Think of something the couple likes to do together, and get them a gift card for it. Maybe they like to go out and eat at a fancy restaurant. Or maybe they'd like to go see a movie together.

Gift Basket

You can get many little gifts and put them together into a gift basket. One idea is a gift basket full of gourmet coffees and teas in various flavors. Include two mugs (consider getting one that says mom and one that says dad!), some coffee cakes, cookies, and/or biscotti, and some flavored creamer. You could also make a movie basket. Include some popcorn and a gift card to a movie rental place. Another idea is a relaxation basket. Include stress relief lotions, an oil warmer with lavender oil, and bath salts.

Maid Service

As anyone who's had a baby knows, in the first few weeks, things like cleaning get shoved aside. Having some outside aid is a big help. There are companies that offer maids for hire. It can be a one day thing, or a weekly or monthly thing. The best option for new parents might be maid service once a week for the first month.

Art

You can make a piece of art to celebrate the new family. Even if you're not the artistic type, this project is easy to do. Decide on a handprint project that uses either paint or clay. If you choose paint, get each family members handprint on paper. Then design the paper and add the family members' names and the date the handprints were taken. Then frame it and give it as a completely unique gift. If you choose to do the handprints in clay, you have several options. You can make them into a decoration with a ribbon on top so it can be hung (maybe a square for each family member's handprint or one big piece with all the handprints on it) or into stepping stones for the garden.

Voucher Booklet

This is a do-it-yourself gift. Write out or print a little booklet of vouchers the new parents can redeem. Have them be redeemable for services you can offer to the parents. This gift is best for family or close friends...since you'll probably be going to their house and/or babysitting their baby as a result of this gift. You can include a few vouchers for meals (Make them some lunch or dinner at home and bring it over to them when they 'redeem' their voucher), a voucher for cleaning services (or you can split it up into a few different cleaning vouchers...one for laundry, another for doing the dishes, another for a general cleanup of things around the house), and a voucher for babysitting services if the new parents would like a night out.