Grandparents' gift for baby

[StargazyDrifter]

We're expecting our first (19 weeks) and the grandparents would like to give her something special and lasting as a newborn gift, rather than contributing to a pram or something similar. They've asked us to have a think about what it might be. Thing is, we've no experience at all with this sort of thing! I have a vague memory of a silver piggybank that was given to me as a newborn. Not very inspiring these days. Would appreciate all your ideas and suggestions! 😊

Hi, we wanted the same for our first gd, it was hard as they had so many things and we wanted something that would still be there for a long time.
We decided on money for their savings account.
We would have opened it ourselves but ds is in finance so did it himself.
You and others can add to it through the years, and it's a lovely thing to think about in the future, how you started the savings.

My Grandparents got us all rings with our respective birthstones.
My children got art.

My in laws bought us a new bathroom. 😂 We didn't need anything baby related, but we did have a walk in shower and needed a bath. So they offered to buy us a new bathroom suit, which has been well used by DC. Lol

We have just had our ds. When we were pregnant my in laws offered to buy the travel system we wanted £1000ish and gave us the money for it. We found one second hand £250 so the rest of the money was used on decorating the nursery nicely, lovely carpet and curtains etc. When DS was born they gave us £50 which we have put in a savings account although they made it really clear it could be spent on anything, nappies, takeaways for the first few days, clothes etc. I know it is nice to have a ‘lasting’ gift but if there are bits you need then I think a monetary gift is better. We know most of our nursery was funded by our baby’s Nanny and Grandad and that’s lasting for us.

I'm looking forward to being able to tell gd how we started the savings for uni, house deposit, or whatever it's spent on.

I think the silver money boxes are usually bought for Christening/naming day, I know my kids got lots of silver things.

Stocks and shares isa

Not very romantic but I’d suggest a donation to start a savings account.

Or premium bonds or summat

Hi OP

One set of grandparents bought our little girls pram for us and got our little girl a st Christopher as we like to travel as something to keep and the other bought us a few bits that we wanted and they bought all of the Beatrix Potter 50ps from the Royal Mint for her to keep :) xx

A rocking horse - will be used and loved for years, and can be passed in to future children and grandchildren.

I was trying to think of gifts like this for my baby for his first birthday. I bought a really nice hand made stuffed toy in the end. Also there are lots of lovely personalised, engraved wooden toys etc that would last a really long time.

Money and a bank account defo.

Port
Premium bonds
Shares in a company

All things I and my brother received. The port has been the most enjoyed but the shares 30 years later contributed nicely to a house deposit.

Those are all great ideas, thank you very much! We had underestimated the money/start of life savings side of things, definitely something to revisit. The art and rocking horse ideas are also v tempting! Quite right on the silver - I'd forgotten all about christening! I must have got mine then.

Whiskey!

My parents (DDs' Grandparents) opened bank accounts & started monthly direct debits for them to eventually receive the funds on their 18th birthdays.

My brother (their uncle) bought them both white gold bracelets with a single gold/diamond charm on, which he gave them when he first met them in the hospital.
Every year on their birthdays he gives them a new charm, which we then have gold-soldered onto the bracelet. The girls love wearing their bracelets on special occasions, & I love that they have something which holds memories- he tries to choose each year's charm as something relevant to the year/ milestones they've achieved etc.

My dad made my first DD a rocking horse when she was born. Literally carved/assembled/painted it from a kit (he was a clever sod my dad!) DD is 20 now and I have the horse in my bedroom. Having lost my DF in 2017 I'll never part with it.

I'm in my 50s and the only thing I have, that I've had from birth, is a teddy bear my DGF bought me. It's not in great condition LOL!

Ooh making something of meaning, now that's a thought! I doubt the grandparents would stretch to a rocking horse, but I might see if they will write or at least record some of their favourite stories. They live quite far away plus speak a language DH and I don't... 🤔

EyeOfTheTiger those are the best bears! Have you seen this book? I love looking at it.

www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjyhKvPt6_gAhXuu-0KHUzkAFMYABABGgJkZw&sig=AOD64_3wjvSWWFtUor8m8lPWvrTkUumbUw&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwj6nqXPt6_gAhVoSBUIHWCKCcwQwg96BAgLEAc&adurl=

My late FIL got each of the dc a box to keep memories in - a nice old fashioned cabin trunk with an engraved plaque with name & date.

I've since divorced & the dc (teenagers now) & I live a long way from xh - when they visit him, they love looking through their boxes - which are full of sentimental things xh & I saved from their early years.

The idea is that they will have the boxes as adults - they might well ditch the babygros & fingerpaintings then!

My parents did trust funds. Also v welcome.

A book worth keeping such as a nice copy of Alice in Wonderland or Peter Pan and some savings.