How to choose

#1:  Choose items which are difficult for the gift receiver to get.   

We all know that new Moms and Dads want the best for their beloved babes, but not everyone has access to the items of their desires.  Two major categories that parents want but hard to get are;  

·         Luxury items  

·         Specialty items not readily available at local stores.   

Luxury items are always on the top of the people’s wish list but those items tend to slip out of reach especially when the family budget is tight.  So such items will certainly make great gifts. It would also be nice if you could find specialty items not readily available everywhere.  Now with the internet people have more choices and more specialty items became accessible but it isn’t always easy for new parents to stay focused on the computer when babies seem to require a lot of attention 24/7.  So give yourself time to research online to find unique and very special gift for your friends and love ones.    Choosing luxury and specialty items that are difficult for the new parents to get is one sure bet!  

#2:  Choose items which are age appropriate.   

Babies put anything and everything in their mouths.  So, you should avoid giving anything small enough to fit into baby’s mouth unless that is where it is supposed to go.  Toys for young children must be designed and manufactured according to strict guidelines to prevent accidents.    It can be all too easy to find an adorable plush toy which looks harmless, but make sure that there are no small beads such as those often used for eyes or other potentially removable parts which might detach and provide a choking/swallowing hazard.  It is always best to choose a toy according to the age range it was made for.  If there isn’t a label which shows the acceptable ages, don’t take the risk.  

#3:  Stay away from ‘big decision’ purchases.  

Grandparents tend to purchase big gifts like strollers, child seats, cribs, and so forth.  And parents often give grandparents details of exactly the features they are looking for in them. Safety is always the biggest concern but usability, color, and brand can be really important for the parents.  So, you might want to avoid them all together.   According to the parents we’ve interviewed, clothes and toys are the most popular gifts among Moms and Dads.  When you buy clothing, you might want to buy a little bit larger size because babies grow fast and new parents might have already purchased the current size clothes.  When you buy toys, make sure to buy age appropriate toys.   

#4:  Consider the gift receiver’s lifestyle 

You might not want to give powered milk for someone who breastfeeds.  Cloth Diapers might not be appropriate for someone who uses disposable ones.  Recently more and more people are trying to raise their children with as little exposure as possible to hazardous or potentially harmful chemicals.  Parents are turning away from conventional products to organic or natural products to reduce the exposure of their children to pesticides or potentially harmful dyes and chemicals.   

For such people you would definitely want to choose organic items whenever possible.  As the demand for organic products dramatically increased over the last decade, better and more reasonably priced items have emerged.    Online baby boutique, Organically Baby (http://www.organicallybaby.com), has a huge selection of certified organic baby clothes, toddler’s clothes, plush toys, and award-winning safe wooden toys.  Great gifts for any budget!  

#5:  Safety Safety and Safety 

Poisoned Baby Formula, Rash-Causing Baby Clothes, Highly Flammable Kids Pajamas, Lead Contaminated Toys and Infant Clothes….  Recall after recall.  It is crazy out there! You might not be able to predict future recalls but you can mitigate the risk.  

 First, you should be careful where you make a purchase.  It is nearly impossible for a 2^nd hand shop to check each and every toy and piece of clothing for a recall notice.  Some discount stores purchase inferior quality products at bottom-rock prices.  The initial savings seem attractive but might become more costly at the end.  So avoid cheaper but inferior products.  

  Second, you should check where the items are manufactured.  Not all the products made in certain counties are bad but there are a few countries which are notorious for the lax safety standards during the manufacturing processes.  You might think only cheap products are made that way but some expensive brand-name products could be made in the exact same factory in the same manner.   

 Third, you could try finding gift items which are made toxin-free to begin with.  Now it is possible to find wooden toys made without harsh glues or dyes and organic plush toys and clothes which are not only pesticide free but also harsh chemical free.  Certified organic clothes and plush toys are dyed with low/no impact dyes and no harsh bleaches are used.  Those items are becoming more and more popular among new parents.  

#6:  Price range  

A Gift is something people do to express their joy, love, and wishes for future happiness. So how much money you spend for the gift isn’t that important.  Just show how much you love them and how happy you are for the new arrival in their family.  But for some who would like to know the norms of gift giving, here is a tip, it is pretty standard that friends would spend around $50 for a baby gift and relatives and closer friends spend around $100 per gift.  However, remember that it is absolutely up to you on how much to spend.  Finally, if it is possible to give gifts jointly, each person might not spend as much.  

#7:  When to give  

Before you give a gift, you should make sure that the newborn baby and the mother are healthy as not to send a poorly timed or potentially hurtful gift.  Normally people give gifts within a month after a baby is born. However people might learn the news later or you might miss the timing for some other reason.  Even if the baby is over a month old, it is still OK to give gifts.  If the baby is more than a year old, you could send a gift as a birthday gift.  If the holiday season gets near, you could give it as a holiday gift.  But make sure not to send a gift before the baby is born and you might also want to confirm the gender of the baby before picking up cute pink baby clothes.