Gifts for new parents

Your client is having a baby and you want to send something to mark the milestone. Family and friends will cover most of the obvious gifts, including clothing, toys and furniture, so try these ideas.

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High cost, low impact $350/client

A $350 sterling silver two-handle cup from Birks can be engraved with the baby’s initials. An 18-karat yellow-gold ID bracelet, also from Birks, costs $250. While these items might look nice, most modern parents consider them impractical.

Medium cost, medium impact $85/client

Help them start the saving habit early. Engravable, and less fragile than ceramic, a silver-plated “I Love to Learn” coin bank is $85 at Birks.

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Low cost, high impact $58/client

Most new parents are too tired to cook. Family and friends will bring by casseroles in the beginning but, by week three, help often peters out. So give them a gift certificate for a restaurant that delivers.

Better yet, subscribe them to a meal-prep service. In Calgary, Healthy Chef Delivery will prepare and deliver frozen entrees. Four prepared servings of beef stew and vegetables cost $58, and includes a litre of soup.

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In Toronto, Ottawa and other locations in southwestern Ontario, SupperWorks lets clients assemble meals ahead of time or purchase pre-assembled meals to cook at home. Entrees for four to six people cost $28.75 each when purchased in blocks of 12. Gift certificates are also available.

And, if the newborn has a sibling, get her a little something to ensure she doesn’t feel slighted. A colouring book and deluxe set of crayons costs under $20 and your client will remember the extra effort.

High cost, high impact $2,100/client

A diaper service will help new parents. In St. John’s, Nfld., one year of deluxe diaper service costs approximately $2,100 ($40 a week x 52 weeks). In Winnipeg or Edmonton, it costs about $1,325. But before you order, make sure your client can cancel, just in case the baby is allergic to the detergent.

Don’t bother with…

• A stuffed animal. Every neighbour, aunt, friend and acquaintance is going to buy this.
• Clothing in newborn sizes. Onesies, sleepers, hockey or basketball jerseys in teeny sizes will fit the newborn for about 10 minutes. If you want to purchase clothing, stick with six-month sizing and consider the season (if it’s winter now, don’t buy six-month-old-sized sweaters).
• China plate sets. The child will be in school before most parents let him use the china mug.

Lisa MacColl is an Ontario-based financial writer.