It's become customary to buy a new baby heaps of gifts - onesies if you ask Bluey and Bingo Heeler. Some other popular gifts include nappies, baby monitors, blankets and swaddles, bibs and rattles, prams and cots.
Allow us to assure you that most babies in Australia get enough stuff. And babies only need some things for a little while, so sharing is caring when it comes to baby goods, for bubs and the planet they'll call home.
In fact if you want to find a sustainable gift for a baby, you don't need to make it about the baby at all - get a non-baby gift for the new parent.
This is a win-win for the baby. Supporting the parent with a thoughtful gift can help them through these wild and wonderful weeks and months. A supported parent = supported baby.
Here are our top 5 picks for gifts for new parents in Australia:
Meal delivery
Eating well can fall by the wayside when a new family member joins the household. The lack of good nutrition has a compounding effect on a new parent who is already likely sleep-deprived. You could treat them to a voucher for meal delivery. Check out The Whole Bowl Co. for some great options.
Rest and recuperation
If you can be trusted to look after the baby, you can gift an IOU for babysitting. If you're a workplace you might be able to cover the cost of a nanny. There will be times when the greatest gift you can give a new parent is the use of both their arms. Other times it will be a power nap while they know someone else is on duty with Bub. This can be a low-cost highly sustainable gift and you can offer it more than once for maximum delight.
A cleaner
This one might show true value when the new baby is on the move and it's hard to put them somewhere safe while the jobs get done. For many folks, a messy home can also mess with their mental health. This gift would work well by involving the parent/s in deciding who they feel comfortable letting into their house to help out, and when they want that help to occur (no deal to naptime vacuuming).
A photoshoot
Not everybody's cup of tea but for some people, getting professional photos with their new family will be the treasure of a lifetime. They'll have to put in some effort to be camera-ready but maybe you can make that part of the gift and look after bub while they get ready. Parents will love getting photos of their child and may not make it into the shot as often so capturing them together so they don't have to watch through the lens is a special gift indeed.
Career counselling
Many parents feel conflicted about taking a break from a career they love to start the journey of parenthood. Others don't get much of a break away from work, and they might feel distressed about the separation while they earn a living. The gift of career counselling can help a new parent design or find work that fits the priorities of their new life chapter. At Workpants, we love supporting new parents to navigate their careers - if you'd like to gift our services to a new parent get in touch.
It's unlikely that babies will say thank you for anything you get them, but a gift for a new parent will get you plenty of gratitude and can be a small way to make a big difference as they embark on this adventure.
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