Buying for an Infant? Top Christmas Picks From a Parent's Point of View

It's the time of year when everyone gets into a buying frenzy, trying to get just the right gift for their loved ones. Most think that buying for an infant (newborn to 9 months) is fairly easy... pick up some toys and/or a cute outfit and you are good to go. But oh your Christmas buying could mean so much more by following a few quick tips for gifts for an infant. Rest assured baby will not remember the first few Christmases of his/her life. Sure it's fun to buy a bunch of toys but the following are suggestions of items that will be meaningful not only to baby but the parents.

I am a mom on a tight budget. For these two years of my son's life, I would often ask those buying gifts for our family for items our son was in need of. These are the suggestions I will be giving here. These apply greatly for the Christmas season when money can be tight everywhere, but also for any gift giving occasion.

The very first thing I would start with is asking the mom and/or dad for a list of needs, likes and what baby is into. Ask them to be specific with things like colors, sizes and brands as applicable. Many parents are very partial to certain products and may end up exchanging your gift if it isn't what they are looking for.

#1 Baby Necessities:

This is probably the number one expense in a parent's world being that the need occurs daily. Items under this category would include:

Diapers, wipes, baby cleaning products, formula, baby food snacks, bottles and feeding supplies

Take into account any allergies and/or skin conditions that would affect your purchase of these items. Size is important for diapers and this is definitely where I would ask mom for her desired brands. Certain brands work better for different babies. For instance, my sister always swore by Huggies diapers. These did not work for us at all. Moms also tend to develop a preference for baby wipes. Pampers and Huggies have a completely different feel to them. If mom is still nursing the baby, are there items for this she may need such as a breast pump, storage bags, or a mini cooler?

#2 Baby Gear:

Is there still a piece of baby gear that they don't have yet? Is baby growing out of something and needing a replacement? One of the best gifts we had put on my son's first birthday list was a new car seat. We knew at that time we were not going to be able to get one, so Grandpa agreed he would buy it. Classic baby gear to think about:

Car seat, stroller, crib, bouncy seat, swing, portable play-yard, excersaucer/entertainer, bookshelf/toy storage, rocking chair, high chair/booster seat.

In addition, you could be thinking ahead to items baby may need in the next year before the next gift giving season. Older kid items may include:

Toy box, toddler bed, booster car seat, toddler chair, and a potty seat.

#3 Safety Gear:

Once baby gets mobile, he/she will be all over the place. Homes need baby-proofing. Although this may not be an exciting item to purchase, these much needed items could be an important step in protecting those precious little ones. Items to consider include:

Sun shade (not one with the roll up shade as these can cause damage in a crash), outlet plugs, oven lock, cupboard locks and safety gates.

#4 Books and DVD's:

Babies can NEVER have too many books in the house. Board books are the most recommended for infants as they withstand the wear and tear babies dish out. Other things to look for include bright pictures, baby faces, textures to explore and simple story lines. You could ask mom/dad if they have any preferences or just pick something from the shelf. I would stay away from character books unless you know the parents approve of the particular character. For instance, we prefer not to have items with Barney or Spongebob in our home.

DVD's are an item you want to follow the lead of the parents. Do they want their child to watch TV? Are they huge Disney buffs and already have every Disney movie produced (this is us pretty close)? A safe bet for infants is the Baby Einstein series of DVD's. Another very cute series we have found is Veggie Tales (these are religious).

#5 Baby Toys and Clothes:

I have saved these for the last as they are the most popular options. Let's start with clothing... Questions to ask would be What does baby need now? What size is he/she currently? What is needed for the next season? Last Christmas season we needed to ask for pants and pajamas as we were short on both at the time. This Christmas, my son really doesn't need clothes since we have had so many hand-me-down items, but I gave his sizes out anyway just incase someone wanted to buy something cute.

As for toys... I'm not going to give a whole lot of specific recommendations in this area since there are tons of review sites out there that you can find data on toys. (a favorite of mine is epinions.com) But here are my suggestions

- Don't fall victim to marketing ploys. The hot toy of the season may be a dud in baby's home and usually much overpriced. You can generally get much better toys for a better price. Also, baby doesn't necessarily NEED a computer learning center. Often these toys are way over an infant's skill level, even if it says for 9 months and up.

- Unless baby doesn't have any toys, feel free to buy one age level higher. This can either be a toy that mom can bring out later, or it could challenge baby to reach new levels in development.

- This is a good time for larger equipment purchases like a slide, ride-on toys or a wagon. Some will depend on what space the family has but what a better time than Christmas. Even if you live in a winter climate, these items will be ready for when spring weather hits.

- Read reviews of higher end toys. In our experience, just because a toy is made by an educational company (such as Baby Einstien, LeapFrog and VTech) doesn't mean it is the best toy. Many of the toys we have gotten from these companies have been hit or miss one whether they are any good.

- Unless the parent asks, avoid cute stuffed animals. Before my son was born we had more than enough stuffed animals to last several years. Sure he plays with a few of them but mostly they sit lonely in the toy net. I don't think I have ever seen a young child deprived of having enough stuffed animals.

Oh yeah... miscellaneous items you may want to consider if the family does not already have them. Keepsakes are always important this time of year. "Baby's First Christmas" ornaments can start a fun tradition. Also, does baby have a piggy bank to start that even important habit of saving? Last a savings bond can help put little ones in the right direction for their future.

Christmas is a wonderful season for sharing and gift giving. When in doubt, ask the parents which gifts they would most prefer for their little one. Happy shopping and Merry Christmas.