Gift IdeasGift ideas for a new baby and the parents
New parents receive many baby clothes in the smallest size. Useful gifts are the ones for later months, and something for the tired parents themselves.
A storybook or a set of picture books
Ask the bookseller for the right reading age. Write the child's name and the date inside.
A cooked meal delivered to the house
Ask what day suits them and bring it in containers that need not be returned.
A hand-knitted or hand-stitched item
A scarf, a cushion cover, an embroidered handkerchief.
A tree or fruit sapling
For someone with a garden. Planted on the day, it marks the year.
A soft cotton baby set in a larger size
Buy for six to twelve months. Everyone else brings newborn sizes.
A baby blanket or quilt
Light cotton for a summer baby, a warm one for a winter baby.
A baby memory book
For first photos, footprints and dates. Parents fill it for years.
Money in an envelope (shagun)
Welcome on almost every family occasion, and the giver never has to guess a size or a taste. By custom the amount ends in one.
A helper for a day
Arrange a cleaner, a cook or a babysitter for a day or a week.
A small silver bowl, spoon or anklets
The traditional gift for a newborn in many Indian families.
A silver coin
A traditional token of good fortune at Diwali, weddings and the birth of a child.
A spa or salon voucher
For someone who looks after everyone except themselves.
No idea matches these choices. Set one of the boxes back to "Any".
Your shortlist
How to choose for a new baby and the parents
- Buy clothes for six to twelve months, not for newborns, and check the season the baby will reach that size in.
- Soft cotton is the safe choice for baby skin. Avoid loose buttons, beads and strings.
- A meal delivered to the house in the first weeks is a gift the parents never forget.
About the spending levels
This site does not quote prices, because prices change with the city, the shop and the year. Each idea is marked with one of four levels instead:
- Token: A small gesture: the cost of a snack or a few cups of tea.
- Modest: An everyday gift for friends and family.
- Generous: A special gift for someone close or a big occasion.
- Grand: A once-in-years gift, often given by a family together.
Questions people ask
What is a good gift for a new baby and the parents?
Start from what the person does every day and what they would not buy for themselves. On this page, "A storybook or a set of picture books" and "A baby memory book" are two ideas that suit most people.
What if I have very little to spend?
Choose the Token level in the filter. Handmade and personal gifts, such as a cooked meal delivered to the house, cost little and are often the ones remembered.
Gifts for other people
Guides
- Shagun: giving moneyThe envelope, the extra rupee and how to decide the amount.
- Gifting etiquetteGiving, receiving, regifting and gifts to avoid.
- Return giftsIdeas for birthdays, weddings, pujas and housewarmings.
- Gift wrappingWrap a box neatly, or wrap without paper at all.
- Gift messagesShort lines to write on a tag or card, to copy.
- Secret Santa name drawerPair everyone for a gift exchange on one phone.