Woohoo! A new baby has entered your life. And this means it’s time to send a cute, tiny bundle of gifts to help restore the sanity of the exhausted parents.
Yes, welcoming a child is a glorious moment. But also, it’s filled with sleepless nights, sore bodies and adjusting to having an incredibly fragile small human in the house. Also, that tiny being is 100% in charge of everything all the time now.
Brand new parents (and honestly experienced parents, too) will think you’re 100% the best when you send one of these care packages.
Get Out of the Kitchen & Chill
Parents, especially parents who are running on zero hours of sleep, do not want to cook. They want to sit on the couch and do nothing.
Trust me on this one: Cooking full meals for yourself while sleep deprived is the worst.
To help everyone feel more relaxed, send this:
- Subscription for a week (or more) of fully-prepped meals, like Home Chef
- Gift card to their favorite local restaurant
- Insulated beverage container, for coffee or tea or whatever
- Favorite sweet treats to end a meal on a positive note
The New Parent Survival Pack
This is my personal favorite thing to gift to new parents. Let’s be honest, everyone is sending cute little outfits and things for the baby. No one is sending things to make new parents more comfy or relaxed.
As a mom of two, I like to send a survival pack of things that helped me get through the first weeks with each of my kiddos.
You could send:
- Cozy, slip-proof socks
- Tea, decaf and stress relieving OR lactation support if a parent is breastfeeding
- Insulated beverage container with a straw
- Yummy snack bars that they can eat with one hand
- Luxurious body wash and lotion
- Chapstick
If you are also a parent who has been through the initiation process, include a note with your top tips. I usually include: get ice packs for your boobs and sleep is for the strong.
When You’re Ready for an At-Home Date Night
Babies aren’t great for taking on date nights. Also, finding a sitter for a newborn can be nerve wracking for parents… which makes a date night at home gift basket perfect!
You could include:
- Gift card to a local wine or beer shop (or drop off a bottle/6-pack if you’re local)
- Gift card to a fave local restaurant that offers delivery
- Microwave popcorn
- Gift subscription to a streaming service they don’t already have
Honestly, I didn’t leave the house very often for “dates” with my spouse when my kids were really little. Actually, I still don’t do date nights that require me to leave the couch and it’s been six years.
Cozy Time for New Parents
Do you know what’s terrible? Putting on real clothes when you haven’t slept in days (or weeks). Which is why, as a parents, I leaned heavily into black yoga-ish pants and cozy tops. Support this journey for new parents in your life with a cozy gift.
Include:
- Gift card for your favorite place to buy comfy, stretchy pants – consider including a picture with ideas or your fave options
- Slippers and/or non-slip socks
- Fluffy, soft blanket
- Tea or cocoa and a mug
- Scented wax melts or a candle in a cozy scent
There was nothing better, after finally settling the baby for bed, than to curl up on the couch in stretchy pants and do nothing.
Your Baby’s Not a Newborn Anymore Gift
When my kids were brand, brand new, we got all the things: meal trains, cute clothes they never wore, towels, blankets, etc. But what I really needed was support around the 3-6 month mark. At that point, the baby has developed into more than just a being that lives to eat, sleep and poop. Now, they also want to play and move!
New parents really need someone to remember them as their baby moves out of the squishy newborn phase and into the active baby stage.
Show the parents of a slightly older baby some love with:
- Swaddles for bigger babies, like SwaddleMe
- Clothes to fit in the 3-12 month range
- Outerwear, like coats or swimsuits, for that season
- Baby wash, shampoo and lotion
- Amazon gift card so they can choose items that they love
The literal bags of newborn clothes, with tags, that I either regifted or gave away was staggering. Staggering. No one needs a million cute little newborn clothes. But bigger babies 100% do need wardrobe support.
Keep reading…
- 6 Unique Gift Ideas for Military Parents
- 51 Open When Letter Topics for New Moms
- #1 Bedtime Hack for Military Parents
Meg Flanagan is a teacher, blogger and military spouse. She owns Meg Flanagan Education Solutions, an education advocacy service dedicated to serving families on the K-12 journey. You can find Meg on Facebook. Meg is also available as a freelance writer and personal education advocate!
