Gift for a Baby

[Reynard]

A dear friend and his partner have just had a baby boy. Now a gift is a nice thing to do, but the issue is what.

They've been inundated with baby stuff and keepsakes of all kinds - clothes, toys, yadda, yadda, yadda from an extended group of family and friends, so it's absolutely pointless getting Oliver any of the usual gifts.

I've said to Owen (my friend) that I'd prefer to do something that the wee lad can appreciate when he's a little bit older, and that I'd like to do something a) useful and b) a little bit different from the usual. The one hurdle to this is that they live in Canada, but they do visit the UK a few times a year, and likewise Owen's mum travels in the other direction.

I'm thinking along the lines of a saving account to be redeemed against his first proper bicycle, or maybe even a decent balance bike that can be potentially handed down to a sibling. Mum says to buy him a coin or a small ingot. I'm not so certain. What does the CC collective brain think?

 

[Levo-Lon]

Open a premium bond account?

 

[classic33]

"O" Gauge "Oliver" locomotive

 

[Drago]

A catapult.

 

[Archie_tect]

A book... "Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes" is one that we love to give to new parents we know...

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/Ten-Litt...KnM3l77NTAw9fQx-iyyMYtCKBZXfSxv0aAjfhEALw_wcB

+ once their child can read a book it's something they'll treasure, keep, and then read to their own.

Failing that a trumpet....

 

[further]

A drum kit

 

[winjim]

Do they have a sling? Slings are awesome, I'm working from home with a baby asleep in one right now. He never goes in his pram or pushchair (literally never), he's always in the sling when we go out. Even the four year old is sometimes carried in the preschooler size sling.

If you're going to do this I would suggest, if it's possible where they are, that they contact a local sling library to try a few different types out before committing to one, as they do vary. Don't know if that's really practical with distancing rules but maybe people are doing it by post or something?

 

[The Crofted Crest]

Make a scrapbook (paper or digital) of what was happening the day he was born. The day's newspaper, the top ten singles, what his parents were doing, stories about his birth and immediate family, ask his mum and dad what they were thinking and feeling, photos of his first clothes, where he was born, his home, etc.

 

[swee'pea99]

Plant a tree he can climb in as he grows up.

 

[Chris S]

A bottle of whisky. It should have matured nicely by his 21st.

 

[jayonabike]

A bottle of whisky. It should have matured nicely by his 21st.

Whisky doesn’t age once bottled, so a ten year old whisky bought 20 years ago is still a ten year old whisky.

 

[winjim]

An egg. When my brother was born he was given an egg. The idea was that he had to keep it safe, if it broke before his 21st birthday it would bring him terrible bad luck. So for years and years we had this egg in an eggcup on a high shelf in the lounge, which nobody dared touch for fear of condemning my brother to some awful fate. Eventually after him leaving home, joining the army, moving to Germany, marrying, leaving the army, having kids of his own etc, my mum got sick of it and made him take it away. He's now in his 50s and as far as I know still has the egg, safe and intact.

To this day, none of us know whether this is a real tradition or if it was just a wind up by one of our dad's mates.

 

[alicat]

Open a premium bond account?

Yes, this. I still have the certificates for £8 worth. Quite a lot of money in 1960. It tells me I was loved and welcomed.

 

[Pale Rider]

A christening spoon.

https://www.edinburghsilver.co/silver-christening-spoons/

 

[Reynard]

Thanks for the suggestions folks. The trouble is, they're in Canada, so some of your ideas are a no go.

Plus they've been inundated with all of the usual baby stuff, and have a scrapbook / photo album of their own already which is why I'm looking for something totally different.

Keep the thoughts coming though, they're appreciated.