Buying a baby shower gift is a task that many of us make much more complicated or time consuming than it needs to be.
Three quarters of baby clothes are gifted yet a staggering 56% of parents discard useless clothing. Keep a few basic pointers in mind and you'll certainly give a gift that a new parent really needs and appreciates. You need to concentrate on finding something essential to parenthood, but also thoughtful.
So what does a parent really need and want? Here are five points that we've learnt from our MORI customers that you'll want to keep in mind...
Quality First
Babies need a lot of clothes, in fact, they need more clothes than the top celebrity fashionistas, as they're constantly spilling, spewing and soaking. Although you might be thinking, the more the better, this isn't necessarily true either. They do need a lot, but when choosing clothing, quality should always be at the forefront of your mind as the higher the quality, the longer they're going to last, meaning mum won't have to stress about needing to buy more clothing when she's feeling exhausted.
Natural Fabrics
Coming from a heritage rooted in textiles, I know how natural fabrics are crafted to a premium standard and therefore more protective of little one's delicate skin. As a new parent, nearly everything is cause for concern, and being something that a baby spends every hour of the day in, you've got to make sure it's safe and comfortable for any occasion. Particularly, the first layer against a baby's skin needs to be very soft and made of natural materials, such as organic cotton or bamboo.
What Size To Buy
Babies grow exceptionally fast, so their wardrobes need to be updated every three months. If you're not sure what size to buy, buy clothing one or two sizes larger than what's needed, they'll grow into them and it means mum has something special to look forward to. It also gives parents peace of mind knowing that there will be some outfits that will fit their baby when everything else is already too small.
Choosing The Colour
There's an over-abundance of gender-focused colours that we paint our babies in. This is now changing fast and modern parents are joining the trend of creating capsule wardrobes for their babies. Neutral means outfits can be mixed & matched so less time is spent on deciding what to put on little one and they can be passed down from one sibling to the other. Also, did you know that in the 1920s pink was the color for boys? Better to avoid the unnecessary stereotypes and opt for a gender neutral colour palette.
The Thought DOES Count
As a baby grows, the clutter of outgrown outfits, toys and other assorted gifts keeps piling up. Parents end up handing them down to their family and friends or charities, but a few that are really close to the heart are kept as memories. These tend to be the personalized items that parents used day and night and are reminders of how tiny their precious baby once was.
As with all gifts, the presentation is half the ceremony. Make sure the gift is perfectly wrapped with a few layers and have a hand written note in a small envelop. If you don't want to badly wrap it last minute, pick a brand that will give that additional attention when presenting these tiny gifts.
Last but not least...
What To Avoid
There are a few gifts that it's best to forget buying altogether. Clothes made from polyester or its derivatives can react with little one's delicate skin, cuddly toys are often made from dangerous materials and cheesy slogans on t-shirts will just make parents cringe. You'll also want to avoid seasonal clothing items that might be out of season when the baby finally grows into them.
Remember, there is an art to buying a baby shower gift, but one that you can perfect with a little bit of thought.