When my daughter had her first child, I was absolutely thrilled. We all know that grandparents have free rein to spoil their grandchildren. Parents have to take care of all the unpleasant parts of raising a child - instilling discipline, changing diapers and forcing them to eat their vegetables. Then, when it’s time to go to grandma’s house, the kids can be lavished with gifts.
I went to the hospital shortly after my daughter went into labor as I wanted to be ready and waiting with a new baby gift basket. Of course the present was actually intended to help out my daughter and to show my pride and love for her. I’ve seen enough baby baskets in my day to know what to include, so instead of purchasing a premade basket, I compiled one myself, including everything from a nose cleaner to Q-tips to a baby bottle warmer and some plush toys.
I experienced mixed emotions when my wife told me she was pregnant for the first time. Of course I was overjoyed at the thought of having a son or daughter, but the burden of responsibility hit me all at once. Suddenly I was no longer the center of attention; I would have to put the kid’s needs before my own. I got over that as soon as I saw my daughter for the first time in the hospital. I even got used to the sleepless nights spent comforting the temperamental child.
Still, I never got used to the idea of changing baby diapers. I longed for the day when the baby would start using her kids toilet seat and that unpleasant responsibility would be off my shoulders for good. Looking back on it now, I can hardly believe I had wished to speed up my daughter’s aging process. These days I can’t believe how much she’s grown. Take lots of pictures because the time whisks by and you will find yourself missing those precious moments.
Running a daycare can be a dream job at times, but at other times it feels like a nightmare. I specialize in dealing with small children - some of them still babies - who aren’t used to being away from their parents for any extended duration. The best time of the day is usually lunch, when I spoon feed them Gerber baby food and watch as they coo in delight. But the peace and sanity don’t last long.
Despite my large stockpile of toys and baby books, it’s inevitable that at some point in the afternoon the children will become cranky and temperamental. I’ve tried every possible measure to keep them happy - from stuffed animals to cartoons on TV - and it seems that only one method works every time. I keep a heaping supply of baby pacifiers in the closet, each one individually packaged. I buy them in bulk off the Internet, and they’re perfect for setting a baby at ease.
In an ideal world, putting a baby to sleep at night would be simple and incident-free. And of course the infant would sleep peacefully through the night, allowing her parents to wake up the next morning well-rested and chipper. Veteran parents are probably laughing by now, as we know that babies are notoriously light sleepers who often wake up numerous times in the night. Still, it’s possible to optimize the nursery, thus improving the odds that baby will sleep soundly through the night.
First, make sure that the baby’s bedding is soft and made of all-natural materials. Organic crib sheets won’t irritate the skin in the same way that other fabrics might. If my baby is having trouble sleeping, I will often play some soothing baby music lightly while I attempt to rock her to sleep. Light sources can throw off a child’s circadian rhythm, so take care to close any curtains or blinds in the nursery. You might also look into any noises that could be loud enough to wake the baby - noisy neighbors, music from an adjacent room and so on.
My wife and I just had a baby boy, his name is Braden, he’s eleven months now and is quite the character. Braden started standing up recently, and it seems like he’s going to start walking any day now, though he’s still a bit unsure on his feet so we bought him some baby knee pads. When we had Braden, all our relatives wondered what kind of baby boy gift great grandfather would give him. Great grandfather (on my wife’s side) is quite wealthy from an entire life of smart investing, in addition to owning a chain of hardware stores. I never saw him quite so happy as when he first held Braden in his arms; he’s his first great grandson.
I’m not the kind of guy to believe the man owes Braden anything, other than the usual grandfatherly care. But Great Grandpa paid for his entire future college education. I was taken aback by his generosity, and I even tried to refuse. He said he’d rather know that his great grandson was taken care of financially because he probably wouldn’t be there when he got to college. Still, I sure hope he’s around to see him in his cap and gown one day.
If a soon to be mother is lucky enough to be having a baby girl, you should consider baby shower gifts that will compliment the newborn’s femininity. Here are a few ideas for baby girl gifts sure to be a delight to the mother (even if the newborn girl won’t notice for a while!):
~Dresses - the mother of a newborn girl is sure to love dressing up her little darling in both simple and fancy dresses.
~Fleece Blankets - when it comes to blankets, you should have something warm and cuddly with soft colors for a little girl.
~Pink, Pink, Pink! - bibs, bonnets, strollers, baskets, bedding, car seat covers; when you have a baby girl you want her to learn to love this color early in life.
My brother and his wife recently had their first child, and I traveled across the state to meet the new addition to the family. It seemed only appropriate that I bring a gift for the baby boy, but I was a bit out of touch with what babies needed. I figured his parents would have given him more than enough clothing, so that was out. Also, I wanted to avoid purchasing a toy because it might be hazardous to a child so young.
In the end, I settled on one of the most unique baby gifts I’ve ever seen: a shopping cart cover. Knowing that babies are especially susceptible to viruses and bacteria, I figured my brother and sister-in-law would appreciate a layer of protection between their child and an unsanitary grocery cart. The cart cover also ensures that the kid will ride around in comfort while his parents do the weekly shopping. As predicted, the gift was a hit.
The practice of wrapping your infant tightly in any various kind of fabric is known as swaddling, and it’s a time-honored tradition that mothers have been utilizing since as early as 4000 BC. It’s believed to have originated in Asia, where mothers would tightly wrap the infant on a backpack type contraption used for long periods of migration with small children. In fact, in many cultures where migration was a staple, swaddling became a common practice.
In today’s culture, swaddling has carried over and is still an everyday tradition. While it used to be used predominately by the rich, upper class, and the swaddling clothes were entirely elaborate, swaddling is currently used by people of all economic statuses. And the clothes are no longer the overcomplicated collection of cloth used in Tudor times. Rather, these swaddle blankets and other baby bedding implements are simple, comfortable, and functional.
My friend had a baby a couple years ago and I found a unique baby gift for her shower. It’s so hard to buy gifts these days because you never really know what people want and you want to find something special. No one wants to give the same boring gift that someone else is giving. It feels so much better to give a special gift, one that will show how much you care and how thoughtful you were in choosing the gift.
After a few weeks of thoughtful deliberation, I finally decided I would get the new baby a charm bracelet. But not just any charm bracelet, a personalized charm bracelet. I went to a local jewelry store and picked out a sterling silver charm bracelet sized for an infant’s wrist. I had the new baby’s name engraved on the front plate. Next, picked out two plain silver charms and had each parent’s name and birthday engraved on them. I also picked out a little hummingbird charm and a book charm. My friend loved the gift and I know she will always have warm memories when the baby wears it.
Little kids’ shoes often don’t come in more than one width. That means all toddlers are expected to wear the same width of shoes. But wearing shoes that don’t fit may delay your toddler from learning how to walk. If your toddler has wide feet you’ll want to make sure to get him shoes that fit.
If you can’t find any wide width toddler shoes in your local baby stores try checking some online businesses. Specialty products are often located more easily online. Online businesses offer a variety of styles and colors in baby shoes that you probably won’t be able to find anywhere else.