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35 Moms Share The Worst Baby Shower Gifts They Ever Got In This Honest Online Thread
Baby showers are a time to celebrate the little one on the way and give special (and needed!) gifts to the mom-to-be. So imagine you were invited to one. And that means you gotta find a gift. The reality is that expectant parents already have so much on their plate, so you want to get them a gift that’s going to be actually useful. A quick Google search shows thousands of baby shower gift ideas, from cute little toys to useful gadgets, the options are endless.
So picking up a present shouldn’t be much of a challenge. But many moms out there who received pretty questionable stuff from their baby shower guests claim this is not exactly the case. “What is the worst baby shower gift you received?” asked one Redditor on the Baby Bumps subreddit. The question seems to have hit close to home for many moms out there as they shared the weirdest and most inappropriate stuff they got to unpackage during their baby showers.
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I got a kids size 10 shirt… like, one that a big kid could wear. We were really confused but said thank you and moved onto the next gift… the friend pulled me aside and apologized because he didn’t know anything about babies. We had a laugh about it and it’s still in my (almost) 4 year old’s closet. We have him put it on around his birthday every year and send a picture of him to our friend who gifted it to us. It’s tradition now lol
Bored Panda reached out to Tiffany Jenkins, the internet’s most loved content creator, best-selling author, wife, mother, and the author of her blog, “Juggling the Jenkins”. She has more than 5 million followers and counting on her Facebook page, and has been featured on national TV shows like The Today Show and The Doctors. Tiffany happily shared a couple of great ideas for baby shower gifts as well as some other insights into parenting.
When asked what is the best baby shower present a guest can bring, Tiffany said it’s hands-down diapers and wipes. “Babies go through an astronomical amount of diapers, having a stockpile of all different sizes ready to go is magical. There's nothing worse than going to grab a diaper when your baby has a blowout, and realizing that you're out. Taking a newborn to the store wrapped in a towel for diapers is always awkward,” she explained.
I was super excited to find a turquoise pottery barn crib on craigslist for $75!! Made a fb post and everything.
Well for my shower my BiL and SiL decided to buy me a crib! Not so bad, but when I opened it she goes "this is so that you don't have to use that street crib, cuz let's be honest, it's a street crib". In front of everyone!! I grew up on second hand items and it was such a slap in the face, I wanted to just cry
A cross…for my Jewish child. Yes, they knew.
My mom had a friend who was Turkish. We are German. In their culture (she said) it is normal to gift a new baby a necklace or bracelet made of gold. It is lucky or something... We didn't know this tradition and mom was very confused when her friend showed up with jewelery for me, then 2 weeks old. I mean it's nice, the necklace got a big "L" on it and the bracelet spelt "Laura". But for my mom it was weird. She put it on me when we visited this particular friend and otherwise never. Now I'm thinking about selling it. I mean solid gold...!
A giant bag of sexist girl clothes from Target from my MIL, after we specifically had a discussion about how much we hate sexist baby clothes and will never put our daughter in anything like that. We tried to return them but they were so deeply discounted Target couldn’t even take them back. They all went straight to Goodwill.
Another great idea to bring to the baby shower is baby clothes in larger sizes. “My babies grew like weeds and would only get to wear an outfit a handful of times before it became too tight,” Tiffany said and added that “Having new clothes in bigger sizes already in the closet is incredibly helpful.”
“ZIPPER pajamas,” Tiffany added to her go-to baby shower gift list. However, it should never be snap-button pajamas. “I learned this the hard way. Waking up exhausted at 3:00 am to change a diaper is hard enough... Trying to snap 64 buttons back together while your kid thrashes around like a baby alligator is like the eighteenth level of 'Jumanji,’” she told us.
My MIL gave me this beautiful "sleeping bag" that was handmade and my SO used it when he was a baby so it actually ment a lot to me cause we dont really have the best relationship. The day after my baby shower she told me she wanted it back and I can borrow it from her if I wanted to use it. felt very awkward about it because I told everyone of this lovely present...
First baby... A card from my sister in law, pretty much saying I'm not ready to be a parent and that she hopes i "don't damage the child." It came with the "What To Expect," book series for birth through age 5. Lol. Also... She spent the entire party ragging on me to everybody. I had met her once prior to this. She was excused
MIL had a shower with all her friends and gave me the presents afterwards. I wasnt even invited
I have heard of this before. It's a bit odd, but generally just celebrating a friend becoming a grandmother. In the times I have seen it, usually the friends don't really know the mother to be, and it is just an excuse for friends to socialize and have fun.
Glad someone here is thinking clearly. This makes a lot of sense.
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I may be the only one, but I don’t like babyshowers. It’s a bit too soon to celebrate the future birth of a child. It isn’t even born yet, enough time to celebrate when the child is born and healthy! A girl in my family had a stillborn (after 2 healthy children). One week before, she had a final checkup and nothing wrong, a week later the baby is born and the child was dead. Imagine having had a babyshower and then a stillborn. I see it as the ultimate jinx, it’s tempting fate. Even with 40 weeks, there’s always a possibility that it goes wrong and when it does, you end up with a lot of painfully useless presents.
That is why it is not done here in Germany. There is a party as soon as the baby is born called "Pinkelparty". Friends and family raising their glasses to the newborn's health with Dad (as mother and child are most probably still in hospital) - usually more beer than presents involved in this matter...
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The only baby shower I got I wasn't invited to. My husband's coworkers threw him one. My mom didn't throw me one because "well isn't a female friend supposed to?" I don't have any female friends.
Why not? Having female friends is just as good as male friends. Although sadly my husband doesn't have male friends either.
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I would accept the gifts, but not the MIL. That was just plain rude and crude.
What kind of bull**** tradition is this?? Where is this done?? Is this normal?? Grandma's have grandbaby showers??
Never been to one and certainly never will. Just why? It's nothing special. Every human on this earth was a baby once! So nothing special here. Nothing to celebrate. Let alone all those unnecessary gifts! What for? Go to goodwill and get things there. Baby will outgrow them in a seconds..... and no, I don't want to hear the "good news" or see black and white pictures of the sonography. Just no.
You get all the presents and also don't have to spend time with your MIL and her friends? Sounds like a win-win to me.
They had a shower for my niece's first child, everyone showed up except my niece. This was the day that her daughter decided to join the world. We had a nice party and were updated frequently by her dad (my brother). It kind of felt like a football watch party.
Well, you could hit back and have your own "no MILs allowed" baby shower
My mother and best friend had a baby shower for me in California, when we lived in Ohio. This was 1985. They took pictures, and my best friend, with a pillow stuffed under her shirt opened the gifts. A few weeks later I received the baby shower gifts, with folded wrapping paper and all of the pictures. It meant so much to me.
Don't take offense, I'm sure none was intended, and MIL just socialized with her friends because she was going to be a grandmother.
We had a Granney party for our friend who was a first time grandma of all of us. Brought in a rocking chair, one of the girls crochet her a shawl. A pair of granny type reading glasses. It was a surprise and we all had a great time. This party waS for her: portable crib, high chair, diapers, anything we could think of when her grands would be at her home? Yes, she could afford all plus more but that made it even more fun.
Sounds like my sister. Threw "me" a babyshower and incurred all her friends. None of my friends were invited
We did this at my office sometimes, for colleagues who were ecstatic about finally becoming grandparents. Most of the gifts were small gifts for the baby, some were for the new mom, and there were usually several 'grandma' items... picture frames and such.
Honestly, I find showers (both birth and wedding) to be huge snores so this sounds like a win to me. Especially if I don't know MIL's friends. For the record, my culture doesn't do baby showers and I refused to have a wedding shower.
At least she gave the gifts to you. I think I've heard of grandmas who keep the gifts for their house
That's actually funny. As long as the presents were passed on to me, I'd be happy. I'm not fond of "partying" with people I don't know anyway. They were her friends, not mine.
If my MIL organised such a thing only for her friends and none of mine.. and I was not invited... I would consider that a gift!
I already disklike the idea of baby showers and am really glad we don't have them in my country. This is making somethign bad even worse.
Well, MILs friends may not be your friends yet you complain that MIL and her friends celebrated your upcoming birth of a new baby. 1, COVID is still a threat and may not want to endanger your health. 2, only MIL knows you, so can be quite awkward for everyone involved. 3, a 20 plus year age difference between you and MILs crew can have a different concept of what a baby shower is compared to what you think a baby shower is. 4, more importantly, ALL the gifts were for you and the baby. Complain much??
Because she got presents for her grandchild out of people who most probably do not even know the mother-to-be? Or because she did not ask a pregnant woman to attend a party where she does not know anybody?
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For those guests who are in for a splurge for the expecting mom, the best expensive gift is a gift card. “Sometimes moms don't realize what they need until they are already knee-deep in motherhood, remembering you have a gift card to use for it is a huge relief later on.”
Although according to Tiffany, any gift is a nice gift, there are a few that aren't the best, if she’s being honest. “A baby drum set, for example—is not a fun time for the mom. Toys that make a lot of noise or take up a lot of space aren't the greatest. Definitely don't get her a gift certificate to a gym, and I'd skip the lingerie.”
My husbands family thought it would be funny to give me a box of condoms, this was a shower for our second son. I was NOT pleased as a 38week pregnant woman. 1 because sex was the last thing on my list, and 2 how tacky and rude can you be. Oddly enough nobody fessed up to who brought the gift when I asked? I know my face indicated I would be murdering whoever it was.
A gift set of baby medicine that all expired before she was born
Why would you even give baby medicines as a baby shower gift? You get them for free from your health care insurance if they really need medication.
Fisher Price Rockn'Play bassinett...we got lucky but the headlines were so true. After I told the gift giver about the near deadly encounter with our newborn, she became annoyed that we returned it through the recall claim. We're no longer friends.
When asked whether guests are always expected to bring in a gift, Tiffany said that there is definitely an expectation to bring a gift, “since that's pretty much the main purpose for a baby shower.” She added that “I do think some people just enjoy being around others and feeling like the center of attention for a day as well. I wrote on my invitation that they didn't have to bring gifts, I just wanted to celebrate. They brought gifts anyway, of course.”
My mother in law got us an ugly bookshelf after asking us if we had one and after we told her we did (and had it all set up in our small nursery). She also got us a wipe warmer after she knew that we were against using one (don’t need babe getting used to warm wipes when we are on the go so frequently). She then made a loud comment about how this other babe in the fam is probably much more protected from Covid because of all the breastfeeding (and I’m vaxed AND freshly boosted). She knows we’re not breastfeeding and just took it as a chance to give a jab. I made up for it though - after opening all of the gifts at the shower I proudly announced and thanked my mom for giving us the best gift of all - several weeks of sleep (via a night nurse). Everything she does is deliberate - but two can play the game.
A wipe warmer!? You've got be kidding me. I can't even believe such a thing exists.
So when my son was born, my brother in law gave me a card. When I read the card, he wrote that he bought 2 football game tickets. One for him and one for my husband…… And he got me, the one who had a baby in her belly for roughly 10 months absolutely nothing.
Cute that Dad got thought of, but in general it would have been even nicer to give a gift to both ( football tickets for Dad and a day of babysitting for Mom). When I had my Son the only gift I got was a diaper service for 1 month. Everything else was 100% geared towards the baby.
Moreover, Tiffany said that she’s noticed lots of her friends doing "virtual" baby showers nowadays, “which is cool. They put out their 'wishlist' on social media a few weeks ahead, then on baby shower day, they go live and open the gifts.”
“I think moms feel like they need a ton of gadgets and contraptions and baby furniture and the latest carseat in order to bring a baby into the world,” she said and added that “The truth is, babies don't need nearly as much as we initially think. All they really need is food, a place to sleep, something to catch their poop, and love. The rest is just a bonus!”
My own mother gave me a notebook for my baby shower that was supposed to be filled with supportive messages from people who attended. Except that her own message was so scathing and pretty much just repeated in different ways how much I was going to struggle as a mother. I got good mileage out of passing it around and laughing at it with my husband's family, who are well aware of how insane my parents are
As long as they know that their parents are insane, there's nothing that the parents can do or say that will hurt or upset them.
My sister got me a random basket from target that says "Baby" on it with a target grocery bag with random baby goods like wipes and such ._. Not wrapped or anything. The gift itself wasn't so bad but then my mom went on a 15 minute speech about how beautiful her gift is and how wonderful my sister was to take the time to make me a beautiful basket despite her busy schedule.
They came to the baby shower for a full 10 minutes, complained about the party, my sister only talked about herself and her pregnancies and how much she had it worse than me.. asked how much I weighed and tried to compare. then left. I was glad they left before other people showed up.
Don't get why OP let them stay for 10 minutes. She should have thrown them out after 5.
A box of uncooked pasta and girl stuff ....FYI I don't know if its a boy or girl and made that clear to everyone that the gender is a surprise.....and the pasta i can't even explain
A “my first 5 years” memory book, with a kids name already in it and the “when we found out we were expecting” says Thanksgiving 2013
Not me but my SIL received a “time out chair” from a relative when she had her first. It was a children’s rocking chair with a clock imbedded in it and lots of s**tty sayings on it like “you have to think about what you did” and creepy stuff like that. Also it was clearly for an older child and not a newborn. We all had a good laugh about it after then donated it.
A dirty teddy bear that smelled like cigarettes. When we called for the story, thinking maybe it was a childhood toy that had been saved, he said “ohh no, I just found that at the thrift store”
Used and open items. came from my SIL’s brother in law and his wife. I am all for hand-me-downs, but like..open containers of baby power and butt cream that are half used, as their present…lmao. Oh, and it was all packed in a dirty, used diaper backpack.
My friend’s BIL got them a giant abstract painting meant to personify the terror of a nightmare for their nursery….it was literally the scariest thing I’ve ever seen and he was not at all kidding. He really didn’t get why it freaked them out…
A onesie that says "every dog needs a baby" and I have two cats. Zero dogs.
I have a pretty “crunchy” friend who marked a bunch of stuff as purchased on my registry and then gifted “natural” versions of the items…I have to think it was just her being thoughtful (as in, she was thinking she got the “better” version of the thing I registered for) but a lot of the stuff she got is just packed with essential oils. I also put a good amount of research into the items I wanted so it was just kind of annoying and I don’t really believe in herbal tinctures or organic always being better. I just want diaper cream and soaps/lotions/nipple cream that works! Oh and a lot of it wasn’t returnable.
My best friend got me a 50 cent machine ducky and five dollars. I wasn’t upset until she asked for the $5 back for gas money.
A dog toy that I’m fairly certain had been used (no tags, and there was a stain).
A homemade blanket with a sewing needle stuck inside it that we discovered when baby was a few months old.
An absolutely hideous baby onesie dress in black, bedazzled with the words “My First Little Black Dress” in pink.
I think I threw it in the garbage instead of donating it.
A thing to hang on the wall of the baby’s room that was covered in ribbon strung with loose beads. Nothing was knotted or secured in any way. Several beads fell off as I lifted it out of the box. So… they gave me a choking hazard for my baby
MULTIPLE pillows for the tooth fairy. Like, what?? And they were shaped like teeth or had a pocket shaped like a tooth, no denying that they were designed as tooth fairy pillows.
Not offensive, just hilarious.
Those puff snacks that expired before the baby was going to be old enough to eat them.
a box of smoke infused dirty books
we seriously left them in the garage they reeked of smoke so much.
I think smokers just don’t realise how much the smoke gets through to everything if they smoke in their home. My mum smokes and every time she gives me something I have to wipe it down, air it or wash it.
My grandma got me a can of beans and canned enchilada sauce... pretty sure they were from her pantry and they were like 10 years old.
Unless Grandma is always stingy, I'd like to say Grandma did her best. Be kind.
Got a onesie from someone that said “best younger sister” when I’m a FTM with only one baby. I gave the onesie away.
I assume it was second hand and the fabric was still okay? People are giving an awful lot of clothes away for stupid reasons. It is not that the saying was offensive or anything, it just does not fit (same as the one with the dog). Is it really that important? The baby will grow out of it in a matter of weeks! Be glad that you have another set of clothes to change the small one into after a carrot or spinach accident and be done with it...
A pink Sonicare electric toothbrush, for my newborn son.
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Chill. They're simply answering the prompt when asked what was the worst baby shower gift they received. It's not that serious.
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We asked our guests to gift a copy of their favourite children's book with a message written inside for the baby. It was amazing. We got beautiful books and amazing stories and wonderful messages. We received books for ages from baby to pre-teen. Its the shower gift that just keeps giving and our kids love the $2 cardboard books and the messages inside as much as the more expensive books (and some even more).
What an amazing idea! And even less financially fortunate friends can participate evenly.
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It runs the gamut between "ungrateful recipient" and "actively dangerous/thoughtless giver". And there's some overlap, just to be fair.
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With the exception of the obviously malicious entries, people forgot the meaning of the word gift. People don't HAVE to give your ungrateful asses anything.
This posting just made me kind of angry and sad at the same time. I couldn't imagine being so ungrateful!
I am totally with you! So many ungrateful and entitled people publicly complaining about GIFTS. How about - you don't get anything? Better? As a child I had clothes and toys that my parents already got second or third hand for my (much older) siblings. Then they travelled down the line to me and then further on to my nieces and nephews. Nobody gave a flying duck about what was printed on the shirts, if the colour is still in fashion or how many children all around our village had already worn this piece before. If it is still okay, say thank you, wash it - good to go!
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Baby showers aren’t a thing in the UK and I’m so glad. Yes, we gift to friends and family when a new baby comes along. But it’s all very ad hoc … you tend to give when you visit, whenever that is. All this “look what so and so got me” and showing off presents sounds horrible to me. However, there’s a tradition in Scotland… which I didn’t know until I had a kid, despite being Scottish! … to put some money in a new baby’s pram. I mean total strangers in the street. Not everyone does it, but some older folk did it (just small, token amounts) when I went shopping with bubba for the first time, and a golfer stuffed a tenner in the pram when I was out for a walk! 😆🥰
I like that idea. I'm sure USAers would take it wrong.
Load More Replies... I have my friend's baby shower next month. Based on this list, I'm pretty confident that what I've got her (and baby) will be a success.
..a faux fur onesie with „dad couldn’t keep his d**k in his pants“ sequined onto it. Loosely.
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My mother and my aunt actually gave me one of the best presents...A huge box off second hand baby clothes. Why spend money on brand new clothes when second hand ones were used less than 4 months. There were some pretty good outfits in there. Turned out they'd spent a couple of weekends going to garage sales and second hand stores to find the best stuff.
It's a party that knocked up women have before they squeeze out their crotch goblins, with the sole purpose of expecting people to give you presents. If you're invited, it's basically been decided for you that you are to provide some of the extravagant "necessities" for someone else's kid, or be judged extremely harshly and maybe lose that person as a friend because you didn't drop enough money on them.
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FB first-time-parent friends set up a wish-list on so people could send them stuff (they are NOT well-off) if they wanted so I anon selected and sent baby socks, a couple of onsies, and added 2 big jars of a very good instant coffee - tastes great and is instant... From later posts, that was the most appreciated thing, lol.
I probably shouldn't have read this post, but I think the idea of a baby shower is yet another stupid Americanism which just reinforces the tired idea of the 'celebrity' of motherhood. Yawn.
Well, that's what you get when you assume. The concept of baby showers in different forms is pretty old. Part of my (not American) family comes from a culture that's been doing a version of it for ages. More recently, more people seem to need to turn everything it a major event for social media although I imagine those people would have done so anyways. Then there are people having lowkey hang-out-with-friends-before-I'm-constantly-exhausted events that don't feel the need to broadcast it.
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My newborn daughter got a cute little hoodie that said "I love my daddy". I was a single mom who was getting regular nightmares and panic attacks about "daddy", who was an abusive douchebag.
As a Brit I've never quite got my head around baby showers, especially when I found out the 'shower' means 'shower me with gifts'. In the UK, of course, people give gifts to newborn babies and their parents, but we don't have a system for demanding them. I find it astonishing that you can throw a party for literally no other reason than telling people they have to come and give you things. It always seemed a bit entitled to me. If people that know they don't know what to give are being told they have to, I'm not surprised some of the presents are a bit off.
You should hear teachers complaining about the gifts they get.
Load More Replies... Lots of spoiled ladies...gifts were given..be greatful that you got anything.
There are so many weird assumptions that the receiver was rude or ungracious to the giver. A lot of these are just objectively bad ideas to give as baby gifts. Not recommended. That's all. It ain't that deep. The people commenting things like "Shut up and be grateful that you even have a grandmother to given you random expired foods." are doing a lot of projecting.
My MIL tried setting up a baby shower with the ladies at her church (at the time I was quite open about having other spiritual beliefs). I respectfully declined, worried they were going to try to take it as opportune time to convert me or shame me. But they showed up to my place, anyways, with the gifts. It was an awkward moment. I think I may have offended my MIL and I now feel like I should have just allowed them to throw me a nice shower. They bought my daughter one of those super saucers and an electric swing that drove my mom up the wall. It was not a fun time. I don't recommend those super saucer things. Although they look fun the "interactive" toys are all attached with limited functions. The teethy ring barely reaches your baby's mouth. It's super loud when they jump in it and it entertains them for maybe a couple minutes. It's awkward to play with them because they have this Saturn's ring separating you from her/him. I can't even say they're safe. I accepted the gift, tho.
Some of those rings are super loud, but others are fine. As for getting use out of it, this really depends on the kid. One of my kids LOVED bouncing around in it and the other would curl up his legs under him rather than go in. I'm lucky that there's a very active swap on FB in my area. You can give different things a try without spending loads of money. For example, a bumbo seat was super helpful for about 2 weeks with one kid. I would not have spent the $50 to buy one new but appreciated getting to use one while it helped and then pass it along.
Load More Replies... I would never have a problem with someone giving me a cheap gift, but I think it would bother me to be given something expired or dirty when it's for a baby. Fact is, most places have some equivalent of a dollar store and even if it's something just cute and funny, it can be clean and new for next to nothing. Then again, I think the general idea of having a party to elicit gifts from people because you're having a baby is also weird.
Not a baby shower gift but my mom found a thrift shop lingerie top and gifted it for me when I got married, which I opened in a restaurant with her, my MIL and friends. I am not a lingerie person, attractive, etc. I never wore it.
As much as I love thrifting and some vintage lingerie can be gorgeous and well-made, that's a line I can't cross. Too intimate for me, even if it gets dry cleaned.
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You need a car seat for the appropriate age, diapers, wipes, a bassinet, swaddling clothes, NON-BPA bottles, a bottle sterilizer, an electric pump (if you are going use a pump) and that's about it to get started. Then, check the new parents' baby gift registry to see what they want.
"PeOPlE ArE So UnGrAteFUl" So many saints on BP who've never disliked a gift I guess.
My best friend gifted my second born son a football at my baby shower. At first I thought it was cute, she's really into sports, but then I read the note.... "So your son knows what team to play for when he grows up". I'm Pansexual and everyone around me knows that I raise my children to be WHOEVER and HOWEVER they choose. Screw her, my son is now 13.... His favorite color is pink, loves to dance and hates sports. I'm one very proud mama.
Some of these were awful, some of them were just not well thought out....all of them made me nostalgic for the times when my friends, siblings, and cousins were having kids and that spiraled into some weird existential crisis from realizing how old we've gotten. What I think I'm trying to say is that this BP post was a pretty wild ride to start the day with lol.
If you can't afford to buy a gift, then don't. I would rather get nothing then some used old nasty stuff.
I'm sorry but a lot of these people are just entitled, ungrateful people. A LOT of these things can be re purposed, cleaned, aired out what not. To get rid of a onsie because it mentions a dog and you don't have one... smh. The baby can't read, no one cares, I promise no one will stop you and be like omg you have a DOG?! no, they will be like awww your baby is so sweet ,cute, (whatever adjective you want).
So many of these just reeked of entitlement. Why do people have to drop a ton of money on you just cause you happened to boink without protection?
Registries have been a thing for decades. It's to help people who can't decide what to buy pick something the parents want or need and to avoid duplicate gifts. You don't HAVE to buy something from the registry, it's just there if you need ideas or suggestions.
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Chill. They're simply answering the prompt when asked what was the worst baby shower gift they received. It's not that serious.
Load More Replies... We asked our guests to gift a copy of their favourite children's book with a message written inside for the baby. It was amazing. We got beautiful books and amazing stories and wonderful messages. We received books for ages from baby to pre-teen. Its the shower gift that just keeps giving and our kids love the $2 cardboard books and the messages inside as much as the more expensive books (and some even more).
What an amazing idea! And even less financially fortunate friends can participate evenly.
Load More Replies... It runs the gamut between "ungrateful recipient" and "actively dangerous/thoughtless giver". And there's some overlap, just to be fair.
Load More Replies... With the exception of the obviously malicious entries, people forgot the meaning of the word gift. People don't HAVE to give your ungrateful asses anything.
This posting just made me kind of angry and sad at the same time. I couldn't imagine being so ungrateful!
I am totally with you! So many ungrateful and entitled people publicly complaining about GIFTS. How about - you don't get anything? Better? As a child I had clothes and toys that my parents already got second or third hand for my (much older) siblings. Then they travelled down the line to me and then further on to my nieces and nephews. Nobody gave a flying duck about what was printed on the shirts, if the colour is still in fashion or how many children all around our village had already worn this piece before. If it is still okay, say thank you, wash it - good to go!
Load More Replies... Baby showers aren’t a thing in the UK and I’m so glad. Yes, we gift to friends and family when a new baby comes along. But it’s all very ad hoc … you tend to give when you visit, whenever that is. All this “look what so and so got me” and showing off presents sounds horrible to me. However, there’s a tradition in Scotland… which I didn’t know until I had a kid, despite being Scottish! … to put some money in a new baby’s pram. I mean total strangers in the street. Not everyone does it, but some older folk did it (just small, token amounts) when I went shopping with bubba for the first time, and a golfer stuffed a tenner in the pram when I was out for a walk! 😆🥰
I like that idea. I'm sure USAers would take it wrong.
Load More Replies... I have my friend's baby shower next month. Based on this list, I'm pretty confident that what I've got her (and baby) will be a success.
..a faux fur onesie with „dad couldn’t keep his d**k in his pants“ sequined onto it. Loosely.
Load More Replies... My mother and my aunt actually gave me one of the best presents...A huge box off second hand baby clothes. Why spend money on brand new clothes when second hand ones were used less than 4 months. There were some pretty good outfits in there. Turned out they'd spent a couple of weekends going to garage sales and second hand stores to find the best stuff.
It's a party that knocked up women have before they squeeze out their crotch goblins, with the sole purpose of expecting people to give you presents. If you're invited, it's basically been decided for you that you are to provide some of the extravagant "necessities" for someone else's kid, or be judged extremely harshly and maybe lose that person as a friend because you didn't drop enough money on them.
Load More Replies... FB first-time-parent friends set up a wish-list on so people could send them stuff (they are NOT well-off) if they wanted so I anon selected and sent baby socks, a couple of onsies, and added 2 big jars of a very good instant coffee - tastes great and is instant... From later posts, that was the most appreciated thing, lol.
I probably shouldn't have read this post, but I think the idea of a baby shower is yet another stupid Americanism which just reinforces the tired idea of the 'celebrity' of motherhood. Yawn.
Well, that's what you get when you assume. The concept of baby showers in different forms is pretty old. Part of my (not American) family comes from a culture that's been doing a version of it for ages. More recently, more people seem to need to turn everything it a major event for social media although I imagine those people would have done so anyways. Then there are people having lowkey hang-out-with-friends-before-I'm-constantly-exhausted events that don't feel the need to broadcast it.
Load More Replies... My newborn daughter got a cute little hoodie that said "I love my daddy". I was a single mom who was getting regular nightmares and panic attacks about "daddy", who was an abusive douchebag.
As a Brit I've never quite got my head around baby showers, especially when I found out the 'shower' means 'shower me with gifts'. In the UK, of course, people give gifts to newborn babies and their parents, but we don't have a system for demanding them. I find it astonishing that you can throw a party for literally no other reason than telling people they have to come and give you things. It always seemed a bit entitled to me. If people that know they don't know what to give are being told they have to, I'm not surprised some of the presents are a bit off.
You should hear teachers complaining about the gifts they get.
Load More Replies... Lots of spoiled ladies...gifts were given..be greatful that you got anything.
There are so many weird assumptions that the receiver was rude or ungracious to the giver. A lot of these are just objectively bad ideas to give as baby gifts. Not recommended. That's all. It ain't that deep. The people commenting things like "Shut up and be grateful that you even have a grandmother to given you random expired foods." are doing a lot of projecting.
My MIL tried setting up a baby shower with the ladies at her church (at the time I was quite open about having other spiritual beliefs). I respectfully declined, worried they were going to try to take it as opportune time to convert me or shame me. But they showed up to my place, anyways, with the gifts. It was an awkward moment. I think I may have offended my MIL and I now feel like I should have just allowed them to throw me a nice shower. They bought my daughter one of those super saucers and an electric swing that drove my mom up the wall. It was not a fun time. I don't recommend those super saucer things. Although they look fun the "interactive" toys are all attached with limited functions. The teethy ring barely reaches your baby's mouth. It's super loud when they jump in it and it entertains them for maybe a couple minutes. It's awkward to play with them because they have this Saturn's ring separating you from her/him. I can't even say they're safe. I accepted the gift, tho.
Some of those rings are super loud, but others are fine. As for getting use out of it, this really depends on the kid. One of my kids LOVED bouncing around in it and the other would curl up his legs under him rather than go in. I'm lucky that there's a very active swap on FB in my area. You can give different things a try without spending loads of money. For example, a bumbo seat was super helpful for about 2 weeks with one kid. I would not have spent the $50 to buy one new but appreciated getting to use one while it helped and then pass it along.
Load More Replies... I would never have a problem with someone giving me a cheap gift, but I think it would bother me to be given something expired or dirty when it's for a baby. Fact is, most places have some equivalent of a dollar store and even if it's something just cute and funny, it can be clean and new for next to nothing. Then again, I think the general idea of having a party to elicit gifts from people because you're having a baby is also weird.
Not a baby shower gift but my mom found a thrift shop lingerie top and gifted it for me when I got married, which I opened in a restaurant with her, my MIL and friends. I am not a lingerie person, attractive, etc. I never wore it.
As much as I love thrifting and some vintage lingerie can be gorgeous and well-made, that's a line I can't cross. Too intimate for me, even if it gets dry cleaned.
Load More Replies... You need a car seat for the appropriate age, diapers, wipes, a bassinet, swaddling clothes, NON-BPA bottles, a bottle sterilizer, an electric pump (if you are going use a pump) and that's about it to get started. Then, check the new parents' baby gift registry to see what they want.
"PeOPlE ArE So UnGrAteFUl" So many saints on BP who've never disliked a gift I guess.
My best friend gifted my second born son a football at my baby shower. At first I thought it was cute, she's really into sports, but then I read the note.... "So your son knows what team to play for when he grows up". I'm Pansexual and everyone around me knows that I raise my children to be WHOEVER and HOWEVER they choose. Screw her, my son is now 13.... His favorite color is pink, loves to dance and hates sports. I'm one very proud mama.
Some of these were awful, some of them were just not well thought out....all of them made me nostalgic for the times when my friends, siblings, and cousins were having kids and that spiraled into some weird existential crisis from realizing how old we've gotten. What I think I'm trying to say is that this BP post was a pretty wild ride to start the day with lol.
If you can't afford to buy a gift, then don't. I would rather get nothing then some used old nasty stuff.
I'm sorry but a lot of these people are just entitled, ungrateful people. A LOT of these things can be re purposed, cleaned, aired out what not. To get rid of a onsie because it mentions a dog and you don't have one... smh. The baby can't read, no one cares, I promise no one will stop you and be like omg you have a DOG?! no, they will be like awww your baby is so sweet ,cute, (whatever adjective you want).
So many of these just reeked of entitlement. Why do people have to drop a ton of money on you just cause you happened to boink without protection?
Registries have been a thing for decades. It's to help people who can't decide what to buy pick something the parents want or need and to avoid duplicate gifts. You don't HAVE to buy something from the registry, it's just there if you need ideas or suggestions.
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