Being a Good Friend to New Parents: Gift and Help Guide

Key Takeaways

• Choose practical gifts that make everyday routines easier.
• Stay connected without placing pressure on new parents to respond.
• Respect the family’s boundaries, schedule, and parenting decisions.
• Keep early visits thoughtful, flexible, and brief.

Your best friends have just earned new titles in life: Mom and Dad. That makes you their newborn baby’s built-in support person, and you couldn’t be happier to take on your new role.

Not so fast, though.

Your new role involves more than simply planting kisses on baby’s forehead and going goo-goo-ga-ga over their latest photos. It also involves being a great friend and a helping hand to the new parents, which includes giving them the best gifts for new parents.

Let’s explore the top gifts for new parents, including gift cards for new parents, and what else you should and shouldn’t do to help them.

The Best Gifts for New Parents

The top gifts for a new parent are items designed to make their life significantly easier. Your new-parent friends will appreciate any gift that will make rearing a newborn baby more manageable. Here are a few items that will make their home more livable and give them more time so they can sit back and enjoy the beauty of parenthood amid the bustle of it.

1. Baby Carrier

One of the top gifts for new parents is a high-quality baby carrier. Look for a hip seat baby carrier, like Abiie®’s Huggs® Baby Carrier, which wraps around the waist like a fanny pack, sitting above the hips. The best baby carriers also come with shelf-like seats for babies, which will help new parents stabilize their little ones with their arms while they’re sitting.

Hip-seat carriers are a helpful option because they encourage little ones to sit with their legs and hips in an “M” shape. When a baby’s thighs surround the parent’s torso, the baby’s hips are positioned in a way that allows the knees to be a bit higher than the bottom. The carrier will support the child’s hips and thighs.

From the child’s left foot to their left knee, tailbone, right knee, and right foot, the child’s legs, hip area, and bottom form the shape of an “M.” This is the position pediatricians recommend to prevent a hip joint abnormality called hip dysplasia.

Look for a carrier with several carrying-position options, too. The more adaptable the carrier is, the better it will fit your friend’s and their baby’s needs.

2. High Chair

The top gifts for new parents also include a versatile high chair. The best high chairs are simple to assemble and a breeze to clean due to having convenient access points. They also come with water-resistant cushions and dishwasher-safe tray covers.

Look for a high chair a child can use for years. Chairs like Abiie®’s Beyond Junior® Y High Chair are designed to grow with a child so they can use it well into adulthood.

3. Baby Dishes

No list of gifts for new parents would be complete without practical, captivating, and eco-friendly baby dishes. Look for ergonomic dishes like Abiie®’s Octopod® bamboo suction dishes, which include divided plates and suction bowls for different foods and feeding routines. These dishes feature octopus-like suction cups on the bottom to help keep a child’s dish in place. That means fewer plate frisbees at dinnertime, something your new-parent friends will go goo-goo-ga-ga over!

4. Bibs

The perfect bibs can make mealtime and travel easier for any new parent, so surprise your new-parent friends with these handy children’s items. A popular option is Abiie®’s Ruby Wrapp® bib, which features a patented BIB-LOCK that creates a pocket for securing utensils when a parent folds the bib. Parents can easily wrap up these bibs and tuck them in their diaper bags, suitcases, or hiking backpacks.

5. Gift Cards for New Parents

Gift cards for new parents are also some of the top gifts for new parents. Treat your friends to gift cards to their favorite shops, where they can access a wide variety of creative baby products. An Amazon card can help them snag difficult-to-find items for Baby, and a Target card is perfect for when they need earplugs, baby food, or diapers in a pinch. Restaurant gift cards can also be a treat for new parents.

These gift cards for new parents will save them a few nights of cooking when they’re beyond exhausted, or they’ll give new parents the perfect excuse to hire a babysitter and enjoy a long-overdue date night.

The Best Advice for Supporting New-Parent Friends

In addition to reviewing gifts for new parents, let’s go over how to help new parents. Here are a few things you should and shouldn’t do when interacting with them.

1. DO Stay in Touch

Support the new parents in your life by keeping in touch with them. Send them text messages asking how they’re feeling and praising their baby’s cuteness, and be their listening ear. Your new-parent friends may feel isolated as they navigate parenthood for the first time, so stay connected to them.

2. DON’T Give Them Parenting Advice

If you’re wondering how to help new parents, keep your parenting advice to yourself unless your friends ask you for it. Your friends have likely already faced criticism from others for the decisions they’ve made regarding their child, so be different. Be as supportive as you can.

3. DO Respect Their Health

Parenting advice isn’t the only thing you shouldn’t share with your new-parent friends. Don’t visit your friends and their baby if you’re feeling sick. Wash your hands and follow the parents’ preferences before holding or touching their little one.

4. DON’T Stay Too Long

Your new-parent friends love to see you, but they also love to see you go in a reasonable timeframe. Keep your visits short and sweet, and ask them what time would be best for them and Baby before you stop by. You don’t want to intrude on their sleep time.

Shop for the Best Gifts for New Parents at Abiie®

At Abiie®, we’re excited to offer the top gifts for new parents, ranging from our baby carrier to our high chair, baby dishes, and bibs. We also offer a wide variety of accessories and parts for when one of our products’ parts goes missing or breaks. Explore Abiie® today to find practical (not to mention fun) gifts for any everyday family routine.