It is a big dilemma when looking for a baby gift do you get something that is practical, homemade or luxury? How well do you know the parents? Do you have the creative ability to make a decent home made gift? We asked parents which they preferred to receive and we got mixed results, but overall practical gifts were the most popular followed by homemade gifts and luxury gifts came in third.
Most parents preferred practical baby gifts. Many parents are just practical people, they have a huge list of items that they have to buy and if someone else can get a few things from the list it saves them time and money. Being a new parent is such a frantic time in your life that anything which makes life easier is a great idea. Parents said that they like receiving items that they could use and felt bad if they could not use them - so practical gifts fell into this category.
Some people enjoy making gifts for babies; it might take you weeks to crochet a baby blanket but if you enjoy it and the parents appreciate it, there is no better gift. Many parents said they preferred homemade baby gifts because these are unique gifts. When you use a homemade gift you are reminded of the person who made it and the amount of time he or she put into making it. A number of parents expressed to us how much they appreciated homemade gifts and know how much time, effort and love went into making them. Also, in our busy world fewer people are taking the time to make gifts so when you do receive something handmade it is guaranteed to be unique and remembered. A nice knitted jumper can be lovely and as a mum it can be hard to find the time to knit. So if someone else puts the time into this it will keep your baby snug in winter and who ever made it will be thought of fondly.
A few parents preference when to luxury gifts, those things they probably would not have brought themselves. They figured that they will buy all the practical items anyway so a few high quality luxury items would be appreciated.
As a new parent it is great to get a mix of all these items - practical, luxury and homemade gifts. When buying a gift you can not go wrong with getting something practical, but if you are crafty have a go at making something.
Jen Hart is the author of the informative website
http://www.baby-patch.com/diapercake.html providing baby and toddler gift advice, parenting information, baby sign language and ideas of how to create the perfect baby shower. She is the mother of a charming baby boy and writes about him frequently on her blog
http://www.baby-patch.com/blog
