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Original poster

What was the most impractical baby gift you were given?

297 replies

LolaNova · 09/03/2021 13:57

Was just in the kids bedroom looking at a blanket DS was given shortly after he was born by a friend of my mum’s. It’s absolutely stunning. White, hand crocheted, really intricate, very fine yarn, took hundreds of hours to make. It’s also massive, heavy, and wholly impractical for use as a blanket by anyone, let alone an infant! You could probably use it as a gorgeous beach cover up or a christening shawl for photos. It’s hung on the bannisters in DS’ room for the last 2 years.

What gifts were you given that never got used?

OP posts:
Mamanyt · 10/03/2021 23:31

A great-aunt, with more money than good sense, gave my elder son a sterling silver and mother-of-pearl teething ring. Dear God...I wish she had just given me the money that she spent on it! He certainly was not allowed to gnaw on it while teething! It did come in handy several years later when he was a couple of hundred dollars shy having the down-payment on his first new car. Sold that sucker on EBay for enough to make up the difference, plus his first tank of -gas- petrol.

FantasySeven · 10/03/2021 23:43

This reply has been deleted

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Squish3 · 10/03/2021 23:50

Without a doubt it’s the seasonally inappropriate outfits/sizes.
About 10 (no exaggeration) “My First Christmas” outfits for our November baby ranging from 6-9months to 12-18months. He was 7.5 weeks old for his first Christmas 🤔 no gift receipts and a global pandemic meant I couldn’t even return them to exchange for something useful 😓 such a lot of money wasted!!
Mini sheepskin lined boots (pre walkers) for in the pram in 18-24months.
3 heavy padded snowsuits in size 6-9months for a baby who will be 6-9m during May-July 😓

Dressinggownchic · 11/03/2021 00:08

DS was given newborn thick denim dungarees with metal clasp and buttons with a thick flannel lumberjack shirt. He was dressed in romper suits and babygrows.
DD1 was given the most epic neon light up cross as a christening gift. It must still be in the attic somewhere.
When DD2 was born colleagues sent vouchers for local takeaways... 5 x £10 vouchers for different restaurants. It resulted in every meal having £10 off instead of a few free takeout treats.

Eastie77 · 11/03/2021 00:12

A sturdy, well made toy monkey with movable arms and legs. Perfect condition but looked as if it was made decades ago. I was completely nonplussed when an elderly neighbour gave us this for newborn DD and I just put it to one side. But..when she was about nine months old she began playing with it and absolutely loved it. DS was born 2 years later and became obsessed with it too.

DC are 7 and 5 now and this toy has remained their favourite while other more expensive ones have come and gone. It is still in absolutely perfect condition and I've put it in a box so they can pass it on to their children.

Witchlight · 11/03/2021 01:04

DS was given a hand-knitted (hand wash) cashmere jumper at 4 months, With his name knitted onto the front. We couldn’t even pass it on in the family, as the name would be wrong.

He wore it once for a photo to go in the thank-you note.

It was later put on a teddy and worked well as a bear jumper. What a waste!

As for denim dungarees- the problem is you don’t want to be the first to own them. DS loved his (free) Osh Kosk sets that had been though 5 children and were super soft and flexible. They could be thrown in the wash and tumbled.

kittykath · 11/03/2021 06:21

We had 4 or 5 square shaped fleecy things with an animals head stuck on the side. Still don't know what they are. Like a miniature blanket. All shops seem to have them in their baby department

Lockdownbear · 11/03/2021 07:29

@kittykath

We had 4 or 5 square shaped fleecy things with an animals head stuck on the side. Still don't know what they are. Like a miniature blanket. All shops seem to have them in their baby department
They are baby comforters. My eldest really took to one of his and still loves it. My youngest never bothered.
Thecomfortador · 11/03/2021 08:04

My mum always said she found muslins to be invaluable so gave me quite a few for both of mine. I never really found a use for them. DP uses the muslins now for when he has a dicky eye, so at least they have come in handy.

We had loads of soft toys which my two now play with a fair bit at 5 & 3. They play babies, picnics, superheroes with them. And talk to them, obviously.But they never really had a favourite cuddly that they went to bed with and my dm commented in disgust one evening that they're the only kids in the country who don't go to bed with a soft toy. Judging by this thread that's not the case which makes me feel better.

We had skinny fit jeans which were never worn and cheap canvas- type shoes from Matalan which I just wasn't sure what the point was for a pre walker and a poor fit for their little feet.

Scottishskifun · 11/03/2021 08:10

A pillow with my DS name on spelt wrong it wasn't a soft pillow felt like polyester/nylon plasticky feeling

A waistcoat and trousers outfit for a 3 month old comes a close second......

Both items went to the charity shop!

Oly4 · 11/03/2021 08:24

I loved the Cook voucher I received!
Any clothes other than babygros for the first 4-6 months were largely pointless

Parker231 · 11/03/2021 08:29

I give a Perfect Prep or Cook vouchers as presents to new parents but this is when I know that they are planning on formula feeding and already use/are local to Cook shops. The key is to know the recipients. Distant relatives seem to give the less useful presents as they see you infrequently and know less about your tastes.

Scottishskifun · 11/03/2021 08:51

I've never heard of cook just Googled it..... Closest shop 120 miles away, delivery £9 glad nobody bought me those vouchers 😂

Parker231 · 11/03/2021 09:18

Scottish - I agree. No use giving a voucher which can’t be used. Cook are local to us and popular so a good and appreciated present.

JustLyra · 11/03/2021 10:10

I'll probably sound ungrateful, but when my twins were tiny a relative bought them a highchair each. Huge massive things. I lived in a tiny flat at the time and these things took up so much space and they didn't need highchairs for many months.

The other one was best and worst. A friend brought a gorgeous little bear from Spain as a gift. DS2 absolutely loved it and it became his comforter. I spent half my life in terror it would get lost because it wasn't something we could replace.

grey12 · 11/03/2021 10:45

@Familyproblemsatwork

How very pompous you are. It should be about being grateful that someone thought enough to want to buy you a gift in the first place (God only knows why if you're as unpleasant and condescending in real life).

I bow down to your heavenly knowledge of knowing what to buy a woman who's had a baby (like 99% of people).

Jiiiii

People are talking about the expectations that shops/family/friends have regarding babies and new mothers. Shops need to be more aware of practical needs for babies.

The sheer amount of cute uncomfortable clothes YOU wouldn't dream of wearing while sleeping!! And society is forcing little babies with the softest skin to do exactly that!

New mothers are known to be tired and out of time for themselves and are expected to handwash a whole set of clothes on top of the usual chores. Majority of us don't have staff to help.

Most people want gift vouchers!!! They have said before. Easy! They can choose exactly what they want and need

SarahAndQuack · 11/03/2021 11:08

@Familyproblemsatwork

I hate hate hate these ungrateful threads from over entitled women who think everyone owes them something.
Oh, do piss off.

If you actually read the thread, you'd notice the dominant theme is people feeling guilty and concerned about the waste of money and stuff. Not feeling anyone 'owes' them anything.

No wonder you have family problems at work if your attitude to family is like this.

FlashesOfRage · 11/03/2021 11:12

An absolute fucktonne of soft toys.

None of which will be used till at least 1yr+ and the purchasers actually ask if your five week old baby is enjoying the two foot tall tiger they bought for it...

BertieBotts · 11/03/2021 11:23

OK actually, not a new baby one but Christmas-themed baby clothes, for Christmas presents, are one which annoy me.

I'm not a huge fan of "seasonal" clothing anyway, but even when I do end up with some, IMO it's for the lead up to Christmas and possibly through to new year - I wouldn't want to keep them in Christmas themed stuff through to February or March. So if I get something on Christmas day itself, by which time DC is presumably already dressed, it's got about a life span of 6 days. And if you buy it in the current size, well they're already in that size so I probably already have enough clothes in it. If you buy it in the next size up I can't even use it over the next few days!

Also I didn't get any of these thank goodness but those "Born in 20XX" sleepsuits strike me as massively wasteful. I've got clothes for DC which must be 10+ years old. Not perfect condition but still fine. Those sleepsuits simply can't be passed on to more than about one other baby because nobody is going to want one which says the wrong year. Such a waste!

Same4Walls · 11/03/2021 11:27

Also I didn't get any of these thank goodness but those "Born in 20XX" sleepsuits strike me as massively wasteful. I've got clothes for DC which must be 10+ years old. Not perfect condition but still fine. Those sleepsuits simply can't be passed on to more than about one other baby because nobody is going to want one which says the wrong year. Such a waste!

Maybe I should change my previous answer because you've just reminded me that DS who was born in 2019 for some reason was given an entire set (vest, baby gro, bib and hat) that said born in 2020 on it. Confused

BertieBotts · 11/03/2021 11:28

I think soft toys are such a love/hate thing aren't they? I don't like them. A lot of them have unpleasant vapid expressions and they just don't really DO anything.

That said I had loads as a kid, and played with all of them. I think people buy them hoping theirs will be "the" special teddy but in reality they only need one to fulfil that role.

MotherWol · 11/03/2021 13:00

A giant inflatable tiger with a weighted base that wobbles but won't fall down. We live in a small flat without much storage space, and there was just nowhere for it to go!

Since having DD I've had to regularly charity shop/freecycle well intended but useless gifts and I've kind of gotten used to it, but with DD2 on the way I'm hoping people stick to the actually useful stuff (vouchers, a pack of basic baby grows, food) as I just don't know where it'll all go otherwise.

Suzypoo10 · 11/03/2021 13:52

First size clothing for a 9.5lb baby.

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 11/03/2021 14:05

My dad gave me a Begonia when I had my first baby. Just what I needed, something else to keep alive Confused It was dead a month or so later.

grey12 · 11/03/2021 14:20

@BertieBotts

I think soft toys are such a love/hate thing aren't they? I don't like them. A lot of them have unpleasant vapid expressions and they just don't really DO anything.

That said I had loads as a kid, and played with all of them. I think people buy them hoping theirs will be "the" special teddy but in reality they only need one to fulfil that role.

"Vapid expressions" are on purpose Wink so the child can mirror their expression on to the teddy. They're sad so teddy is sad with them, they're happy teddy is happy