I'm a Great Uncle! What to get...?

[Brandane]

The next generation has arrived in our family, with my niece having produced a 7 pound baby girl early this morning. Wasn't due for about 3 more days, and it was "Granny's" 60th yesterday so we had a wee get together for lunch yesterday when baby made it clear she wasn't waiting, about 2 minutes after the main courses were served in the restaurant! Niece and partner left pronto and headed for hospital, where a few hours later she arrived into the world. Both well.

Apart from sharing the good news, the purpose of this post is to seek out ideas for a present for the new arrival. I've been out of this loop for a long time, I think it was MotherCare vouchers last time, but obviously that won't be happening. Where do people get baby stuff these days? Do M&S do baby clothes?

 

[cyberknight]

congratulations

 

[classic33]

Hope both are doing well.

M&S do do baby clothes, if you go down the voucher route.

 

[Mrs M]

Aw, congratulations!
Next do some lovely baby stuff.

 

[bikingdad90]

If your going down the voucher route then grocery vouchers wouldn’t go amiss to help them out while he is probably receiving statutory paternity pay and they adjust to having to buy things like nappies etc.

Vouchers for clothes are ok but to be honest if it is their first they have probs bought loads already and will get loads from other people and sometimes they get so much that the baby doesn’t end up wearing them before growing out of them. A better shout would be somewhere like Boots which has both clothes and also practical things like calpol, sudocream etc.

When our children were born, my church cooked an evening meal for us for two weeks straight. It was great, no mess and little or no cooking beyond putting it in the oven plus we discovered some brilliant recipes that have become family favourites.

 

[Bromptonaut]

They'll get loads of clothes and newborns grow like weeds. My eight week old grandson has already outgrown his newborn stuff.

Maybe a toy of some sort. Somebody bought my daughter a thing called Octopull - an Octopus with different textures and a couple of noises on its tentacles. A favourite for years and is now ready for her son.

I think it came from Boots but a quick Google suggests other versions are also available.

Another thought it is Premium Bonds.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

A great uncle Bulgaria cuddly toy

 

[byegad]

Never too early, a balance bike would be ideal.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Vouchers plus something personal. My niece is American. She set up an a/c on a baby stuff website and those of us on this side of the Atlantic put money in. I think we enabled the purchase of a stroller. But something personal went in the post too.

 

[figbat]

Jojo Maman Bebe is a nice maternity/baby shop.

 

[Dave 123]

£100 premium bond.

 

[Brandane]

£100 premium bond.

If they continue to perform the way they have been doing recently, my personal experience of PB's means they will be worth less than a litre of finest E10 unleaded fuel by the time she is old enough to spend them.

 

[BoldonLad]

Congratulations! As for baby clothes, in our area, Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury sell them. Not worth paying a lot, they (babies) grow rapidly. Depending how much you want to spend, I would do an item of clothing, plus open a bank account for her.

 

[DCLane]

@Bromptonaut put they'll get newborn clothes. But less for 3-6 and 6-12 months - I d suggest something for that age.

Or a sensory toy. Or a toddler bike - they'll expect that

Alternatively, if you're the secret millionaire type; open a long-term savings bond for them. Boring, but sensible.

 

[BoldonLad]

Another thought, how about a train set….. 😀