Inexpensive Holiday Gifts for New Parents
We’re wrapping up our holiday gift guide series this week with gift ideas to help you finish your shopping. All week we’re featuring gifts for the people on your list who are hard to buy for! First up are new parents.
Purchasing a gift for new parents can be difficult as they likely recently had a baby shower where they received lots of gifts and help. But it’s not impossible!
If you have ever been a new parent, are going through it now, or know someone who is, then you know that there are two things at a huge premium during this time: time and sleep. On top of that, the new parents’ world has suddenly shifted almost entirely around their bundle of joy.
Inexpensive Holiday Gifts for New Parents
Below are ideas to help ease the lives of new parents, and/or to highlight the new gift in their life based on your budget.
Budget: $5 or Less
- Gift of Time: Feeling generous and adventurous? Perhaps one of the best gifts that you can give to a new parent is the gift of time. Print a coupon for a free night/three hours/etc. of babysitting. This could mean a much-needed date night for Mom and Dad, a well-deserved nap, a child-free trip to the store, etc.
- Genealogy Information/Chart: Now that there has been a new addition to the family, if it is part of yours, why not offer some genealogy information as a gift? The new parents may be happy to know (and share with their little one in the future) how all of the other babies in their family turned out. Ideas include a genealogy tree/chart printout you fill in by hand (including the new little one), passing down cherished family recipes, etc.
- Collage of Facebook Photos: New parents that are active on Facebook usually upload lots of photos of their baby. You could download several of these photos throughout the year (click on the photo under their albums, then right click and “save image as†to save to your desktop) and create a collage.
Budget: $6-$20
- HoMedics Sleep Machine: Since sleep is at a premium, a sleep machine with various nature sounds may be just the thing to take full advantage of spare time (for either the parents, or for the baby).
- Gift Card Takeout on You: Is there a local delivery place or a nicer drive-thru (such as a Beck’s Prime near us) where you could get a gift card? How nice for the new parents to be able to quickly get a meal on the table one night thanks to you.
- Mom and Baby Yoga DVD: It might be hard for the new mother to get out of the house, so giving her a DVD of yoga that she can do with her infant is a great idea!
Budget: $20+
- Yoga Class Gift Card (at a Center with Babysitting): Is there a yoga center or exercise facility in town that offers free daycare? What a lovely surprise for a new parent to be able to take part in a class at their leisure and knowing that their baby will be taken cared of (be sure to check age restrictions for the daycare).
- Crockpot: Crockpots can allow new parents to quickly put together nutritious meals. If your recipient already has a crockpot, think about gifting them a crockpot cookbook (such as Make it Fast, Cook it Slow) to help them make the most use of it.
- Gift Certificate to SendAMeal.com: The new parents can choose an entrée, two side dishes, and a dessert for delivery to their home.
More Holiday Gift Ideas
A crockpot is an awesome gift for young families. We use ours regularly. My wife has a recipe for cranberry beef brisket that is out of this world. She also cooks ham, stew, chili, and other delicious things in the crockpot.
Okay…that sounds really great. Care to share the recipe:) for the cranberry beef brisket?