Best Christmas Gifts For New Parents

While the addition of a new baby is joyous, it is also a lot of hard work. Personalized gifts that will save time or labour for new parents are always much appreciated. Presents that recognize the evolving family are also welcome...and sometimes a gift needs to be about mom and dad only. Here are 13 unique gifts (plus options) for new moms and dads to fit every wallet!

Time, energy, and sleep are three things that new parents are struggling to manage and get more of. This is where gift certificates for SERVICES come in handy.

1. Session of Housecleaning. Housework and keeping a house clean fall to the bottom of the To Do list for most new parents as they focus on their new addition. While a weekly cleaning lady or maid service is out of reach financially for most of us, new parents love getting a hand with the house chores when baby is small. Many maid services will offer gift certificates for blocks of cleaning. Whether it is a one time only event, or a package of four sessions, new moms and dads will be grateful for the gift of a clean house!  An alternative to housecleaning is a gift certificate for a laundry service.  Babies have a way of generating extra laundry.  Crib sheets, receiving blankets, their own outfits, in addition to the regular household laundry - it can pile up quickly! If mom and dad are using a diaper service, see if the service offers coupons or certificates as well.

2. Local Grocery Store Gift Certificates. Grocery shopping is challenging when parents bring a newborn home from the hospital, especially if there are already toddlers at home. Most cities and even small towns have grocery stores with delivery options. Check out their websites or store information booths for gift certificates. This could be packaged with a small grouping of gourmet sauces, spices, etc. in a bread basket.

3. Online Grocery Ordering and Delivery Service. Online grocery shopping has really taken off in medium and larger urban areas. A quick Internet search using the couple's address and zip code or postal code if you have it will tell you if online grocery shopping and delivery is available in their area. This is a very popular gift for both new and not-so-new moms!

4. Dinner at Home. What is the couple's favourite take-out restaurant? A certificate for a take-out or delivery dinner for two will save time and money for the new family. Add some coupons for DVD rentals to round out the evening.

In the flurry of activity that surrounds bringing a new baby home and settled, it is easy for new parents to get so caught up in their roles as mom and dad that they forget about their roles as spouses and individuals. Christmas is a great opportunity to give the gift of a date night. Once they are comfortable leaving baby for a few hours at a time, date nights are a great way to re-connect and for mom to get out of the house. When planning a date-night Christmas gift for new parents, be prepared to provide babysitting services for the new baby. Your gift can be as simple as a dinner at an elegant or favourite restaurant, or as elaborate as his-and-her massages. Keep the activity short, (no more than 4 hours), especially if mom is nursing. Is there an activity that the couple enjoyed prior to becoming parents? Is there something nearby that they have always wanted to try? Here are some suggestions:

 Date Night for Mom and Dad

5. Gift certificate for dinner at a local restaurant along with free movie tickets.

6. An intro cooking class. Some restaurants offer these in a format where students prepare the meal under the chef's instructions, and then eat their creations as a meal together. Wrap the gift certificate up with a small kitchen utensil set.

7. An intro ballroom dancing class. This could be accompanied by a DVD of Dancing With The Stars, SImply Ballroom, or another ballroom dancing movie.

8. His and her spa treatments. Massages and facials, followed by a light lunch or dinner are popular.

9. Tickets for dinner and a comedy show, or dinner and a theatre production. Take a look online or in your local papers for upcoming shows. Be aware of the travel time required if the couple lives out of town.

These next suggestions are perfect for gift-givers who are creative, crafty, and/or on a budget. A new baby means a new or evolving family, and Christmas is a perfect time to acknowledge this.

10. A Framed Heirloom Baby Item That Belonged to Mom, Dad, or Grandparents.

Do you have (or can you get) a pair of baby booties that the new dad had worn as an infant? What about a tiny crocheted bonnet, or knitted sweater that a grandmother or great-grandmother had worn? A favourite toy, rattle, or tiny book? Or a copy of mom and/or dad's birth announcement? Once you have your item, use your creativity to showcase it in a unique way. Arts-and-craft stores carry a wide array of shadow boxes, frames, mattes, and paints. This is a gift that can be displayed in a variety of ways in a variety of rooms in a home, and shows thoughtfulness and creativity.

Everyone loves a baby picture......especially when it is of themselves!

11. A Framed Photo-grouping Highlighting Baby Pictures of Mom, Dad, and Junior. You may not have to stop there - you are limited only by your access to photos and your own creativity. I have seen this done with five generations of photographs for a dramatic, family-tree type photo grouping. This is another inexpensive and unique Christmas gift for parents of a new baby and will be cherished for many years.

12. Fully Cooked or Frozen Homemade Food.

New parents always appreciate anything that will save them time, labour, and money, and having family and friends bring them food that just needs to be popped into the oven or the microwave is a very popular request. For dinners, casseroles work best. Ensure that they are clearly labelled with reheating instructions. Good options are lasagna, shepherd's pie, chicken pot pie, chili (not too spicy, especially if mom is nursing), stews, and homemade soups. Baked goods are also a good choice -muffins, loaves, and most cookies freeze very well. Dress the containers up with a festive bow, and your all set.

13.  Gift Certificates For Services That YOU Can Provide!

This is a great option for children or teenagers to give new parents.  Hand made (or printer produced) certificates for snow-shovelling, car-washing, baby-sitting, laundry-service, window-washing, dog-walking.....the possibilities are endless.  You could even make a coupon-booklet!