What should grandparents buy for a new baby?
22nd December 2020
Whether you are already a grandparent or about to become one, new babies are fun for the entire family. It’s rewarding enough becoming a grandparent but being able to spoil the little one with gifts is also gratifying.
Grandparent gifts for a new baby can be tricky as you need to balance out what you want to give the child with what the parents want and what the baby actually will use. Times have changed and what was popular or recommended to buy for a new baby in the past might not be appropriate now.
This gift guide takes a look at what grandparents can look at buying for their new grandchild that will satisfy both the baby and its parents.
Best grandparent gifts for a new baby
•A sleep sack or sleeping bag
•Activity mat and a baby gym
•Newborn photoshoot
•Savings account
•Books for children
•Other essential items
A sleep sack or sleeping bag
Everyone knows that sleep is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle and this is especially the case for babies. Studies have shown that children who have an adequate amount of sleep have improved attention, learning, behaviour, memory, and overall mental and physical health.
There are so many different things you can buy for a baby when it comes to sleep, but Talya, the creator and UK parenting pro-blogger at Motherhood: The Real Deal, recommends you buy a sleep sack or sleeping bag.
“Once we discovered these we never looked back. It's not something that new parents know about, but they are an absolute heaven-sent. We love the ones from Slumbersac.”
These sleeping bags or sacks mean that you don’t have to buy additional blankets or covers and they are considered one of the safest ways for a baby to sleep. They are made to keep children at a comfortable temperature and are suitable all-year-round.
Activity mat and a baby gym
Mobility is important at all ages. When you are older investing in aids like walk in showers or stairlifts are useful for preserving mobility, and, for little ones, tools like activity mats and baby gyms can be a great help in improving mobility.
The brightly coloured and interactive mats are perfect for a baby’s playtime and they come in lots of different sizes, shapes and themes. They also act as a comfy spot for them to relax and the visuals, sounds and textures can help strengthen a baby’s neck and shoulder muscles and develop motor skills.
Playmats, bouncers and swings are also great as they mean a baby can be occupied so their parents can answer the phone or make dinner.
Talya, who is also the co-founder & director of Self Love Today, said: “Babies absolutely love these and they are great for keeping them occupied for a bit while mum does some catching up around the house. We love the ones from Skip Hop.”
Newborn photoshoot
Something that is extremely popular is for parents to have a newborn photoshoot and this is a present idea that grandparents could get for their children and grandchildren.
People’s phones and cameras will fill up quickly with photographs of the baby, but you can arrange a family photoshoot that is done by a professional. They can be expensive and that puts some parents off, but grandparents can help to pay for the photoshoot.
These photos will create memories for you and your family forever and can be used for photo books or put into frames that can go up on the wall or displayed pride of place on mantlepieces.
Savings account
Instead of giving money to a newborn baby, grandparents can instead set up a savings account for their grandchild. There are lots of popular savings accounts out there, but one which is popular for a newborn is an education fund.
This type of fund is one that a grandparent can add to regularly from birth until the child turns 18 and it is a smart and thoughtful way to provide for a grandchild.
According to The Money Saving Expert “children can still earn up to 3.5% on their savings”. There are lots of regular savers accounts or easy-access accounts available and experts recommend that you do your research before picking one.
Books for children
Not many people would think of buying books for a newborn baby, but it’s never too early to start reading books to your grandchildren.
Books are becoming more popular as grandpa or grandma gifts for a new baby as it has been revealed that reading aloud to children has numerous benefits, including expanding their vocabulary and improving their literacy skills.
Debs from Super Busy Mum recommends buying a book subscription service for newborn babies and young children on her blog: “I think getting your child a children’s book subscription service is a glorious idea for a gift. Especially for all of the bookworms out there! You can get a three-month, six and twelve-month subscriptions and they arrive each month, beautifully wrapped with a little personalised card.”
Other essential items
There are lots of other essential items that grandparents can purchase for a newborn baby that will help their parents and below are some ideas:
•Nappies
•Towel for bath time
•Baby Monitor
•Money towards a pram or cot
Tips for shopping for a baby
It is easy for a grandparent and others who are buying for a newborn baby to get carried away and buy things that the baby and the parents just don’t need.
Talya from Motherhood: The Real Deal shares some tips on buying for a newborn baby.
“Resist getting lots of cute newborn clothes which are absolutely pointless. As a rule of thumb, anything from 3-6 months and beyond is best. Also, ensure any clothes bought have easy fastenings as the last thing mum needs to be doing at baby change is fiddling about! Ensure gifts are practical not just because you think it's adorable and think about longevity. You can buy some gifts for now and then some for later on too.”
If you suffer from a mobility problem and use a home stair lift and are unable to get to the shops to buy something or are shielding during the coronavirus pandemic, you might be doing your shopping online and these are just some ideas that grandparents could buy for a new baby. It is, however, important that you speak to the parents to find out if there is anything they are in desperate need for.
This news article is from Handicare UK. Articles that appear on this website are for information purposes only and are up to date as of the time of publishing
