Thoughtful gifts for new parents

By Emily Kulkus, Special to The Sunday

Sunday, April 24, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Thanks to baby showers and generous family and friends, expectant parents frequently receive armloads of essentials to prepare for their little bundle of joy.

Once the baby is born and you want to visit, it’s polite to bring a small gift, but you want to make sure it’s useful and not a duplicate of what the parents already have received.

Here are suggestions on thoughtful gifts and gestures for new parents, and they don’t require a trip to the baby goods store.

Your time

A new baby can be a shock to the system, particularly for first-time parents. New parents often experience sleep deprivation and can long for pre-baby routines and schedules. For those reasons, among the best gifts you can give is your time.

Offer to visit and baby-sit for a spell so parents can take a nap or shower, go for a walk or just get out of the house for a while. A new-baby break of even 20 minutes can be a big help.

Baby-sitting not your style? No problem. Offer to mow the lawn, pick up a bag of groceries or bring over a movie and a few beers on a Friday night. New parents will be thankful for the help and the company.

Food, food, food

Everybody eats — and usually several times a day. But meal preparation can take up precious time, which typically is in short supply for new parents. That means food — breakfast, lunch or dinner — can be a perfect gift.

Consider letting the family know you’re bringing a meal so new parents don’t plan to cook, or bring a dish that can be frozen. If you’re tight on time, don’t be afraid to bring takeout or something as simple as a bag of bagels or fresh fruit.

Sending a gift from afar? Ask the parents for the name of their favorite pizza place or local restaurant. Most establishments accept payment over the phone.

New parent emergency kit

About 99.9 percent of baby shower gifts will be for the baby — naturally — but how about a little treat for the parents? Besides the traditional bottle of bubbly to celebrate (which never goes out of style), consider putting together a care package of goodies for those sleep-deprived parents.

Helpful items include hand sanitizer for visitors; paper plates for times when doing the dishes just isn’t possible; nightlights to avoid stubbed toes during midnight feedings; gourmet coffee for groggy mornings; dry shampoo for the mama who might not get a shower as much as she’d like; and laundry detergent, because babies have a profound skill of getting parents’ clothes dirtier than their own.

Give them something to hold onto

Consider buying a gift for the child as he or she grows. People focus so much on newborn gear, it’s easy to forget that the little one will be big soon. Consider buying sippy cups or water bottles, kid-friendly plates and utensils, life jackets, larger clothes, a sleeping bag, children’s furniture or hooded towels for bath or beach.

Other creative gifts for new parents

• Gift cards for a massage or other salon services

• A baby book

• Picture frames or photo albums

• Gift cards for photo developing websites or stores

• Know an artist? Ask someone to paint a picture of the baby

• Items monogrammed with the baby’s initials to hang on a wall

• Storybooks or other items with the child’s name on them