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What do you buy a baby???

Tabitha Tickletooth

14:08 / 20.04.06

Right. Going to Australia in a couple of weeks to visit my family. In my absence, my brother has been breeding and produced a child who is now around 6 months old (I do actually feel a leeeetle bit bad that I'm not sure how old baby is).

It has very much been communicated to me that I will be expected to come bearing gifts. That's fine. I'm happy to buy a present. Problem is, I don't like giving 'crap' presents. When I give a gift, I very much want it to be something the person will like, or at least appreciate, and I really enjoy getting the right present.

To my mind, this rules out Beatrix Potter bowls, baby photo albums (it's probably worth keeping in mind that I forgot, a bit, to send a gift when the baby was born so can't really go back there), baby jewellery, etc on the keepsakey front.

I know nothing about babies in general and have never met this baby in particular.

My only two thoughts so far are:
1) a giant stuffed bat or spider - I think this would be really cool and can be reasonably confident said baby does not already possess one (I'm not entirely sure where I would get one, though - Hamleys, perhaps?)
2) a book/set of books - beyond the nebulous concept, however, I don't know which books these would be.

Help me Barbelith, you're my only hope. Or, in failing to help me, at least inspire or amuse me with tales of what to buy a baby.

14:15 / 20.04.06

We got yer stuffed spider right 'ere

Tabitha Tickletooth

14:27 / 20.04.06

Bloody hell Triplets, that's brillian! I admit I had something blacker and more sinister in mind, but this might bridge the gap between my expectations of an appropriate gift for baby and other family members' expectations of an appropriate gift for baby without any real compromise on its essentially spidery nature.

Well done!

15:05 / 20.04.06

If you're thinking books, go with old Illustrated classics that hold value on a whole bunch of levels. Of course I'm thinking Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak and the like. Fun to look at, fun to read and be read to and something that likes to make it's way out of your childhood and onto your bookshelf. Dr. Seuss books are also pretty sturdy so they should last quite a while... some of mine are moving into their 4th decade of existence.

15:10 / 20.04.06

I'd recommend Charlie Parker Played Be Bop or The Runaway Bunny board books. The art in both is soft and inviting, and the text of each has a nice rhythm. There's also a series of cloth books that are hours of fun for small babies..

18:02 / 20.04.06

If you go to Muji and get some of the 'towns in a bag' (they do London, Tokyo, Paris, suburbs and village) they tend to be a hit -in fact, Muji have loads of really nice simple kid's toys. I went shopping there at Christmastime for my wee cousin, and had to restrain myself from buying up half the shop.

19:02 / 20.04.06

(rotty: I have to confess that, when skimming the Converation topics page, I misread the "What" in the thread title as "How," and had a moment of mild alarm.)

As a variation on cloth books, Baby Einstein makes waterproof vinyl "bath books" (with titles like "What Floats" and "Who Lives In the Pond"). My son loved them.

19:11 / 20.04.06

I thought immediately of a book as well... board or cloth would be easy to find. When I was a baby (and my brothers inherited it after me which is why I remember it) I had a vinyl book whose pages squeaked - that was a perennial favorite in our family. A quick search confirms there are still a ton of those on the market. I have a lot of children in the family to buy presents for and I like to get them educational or constructive toys when I can find good ones... another possibility would be to go for one of the millions of baby toys that help build coordination but if you're not into baby stuff that may be more boring (for you to shop for).

19:33 / 20.04.06

an australian baby, already six months old ya say..? best to get hir its own set encyclopaedia brittanica. or set of bbq tools...

seriously, these small baby things seem to keep on getting bigger and bigger. so clothes, funky london kid's clothes, and the parents will adore you [- more!]. doesn't matter if they're too big now; it won't be long! the other option i'd try is to go into a big store - london has them, yeah? - and seek out the coolest intricate toy for hir to explore. at this age, they soak up the world at an amazing rate! again, one for into the (nearish) future is good.

and australia has its own spiders - i dare say the kid has hir own pet red back by now...

have a great trip to oz!

19:53 / 20.04.06

For a child this age, I'd be inclined to go for a soft toy of some sort, a bunny, a bear, or that type of thing, preferably something quite large. As the young un's childless uncle/aunt, the kid's education isn't really your responsibility, you should be there for the fun things in life, so I'd avoid books, music or anything improving, and go for a present he or she can engage with directly, ie, something to *choke* huggle. After all, in the thirty years time, the kid may be the only thing standing between you and the gutter, so it's best to start off on a positive footing.

(Seriously, having been in your position a couple of months ago, TT, I'm happy enough to offer definite suggestions, but preferably via PM)

Lilly Nowhere Late

19:59 / 20.04.06

Moomin books and funny obnoxious baby clothes. Only buy clothes in size 12-18 months. Trust me. I'm going to get you some website info now.

Tabitha Tickletooth

20:07 / 20.04.06

Thanks all - some excellent book suggestions. Being older than six months, I am assuming baby already has baby bbq tools, baby esky, baby stubbie holder, baby thongs, etc. Mine is a loving family.

Like the bath/cloth book idea, being kind of a book AND a toy at the same time. The more I look at that spider though... I mean it plays the incy wincy spider song. Who doesn't love, and benefit from exposure to, that song! Think I might splash out on the spider and a book. Intrigued by the Muji idea - if there is one in London (and let's face it, Oxford/Regent Sts are a capitalist car crash of consumerism so how could there not be) I might just pop in.

Any further ideas appreciated - I'll post a picture of the gifts so that everyone can enjoy them once purchased!

Barbelith, as always, is the answer.

Tabitha Tickletooth

20:12 / 20.04.06

Oh god, I just saw the Moomin books suggestion! Excellent idea. On the baby clothes front, I did briefly consider it, but the lack of goth baby sites left me feeling a little deflated. Plus, my idea would be to buy something, as you suggest, truly obnoxious, and without being around to ensure baby parents felt pressured to truss the bugger up in my chosen garments, I suspect they'd mysteriously turn up in a charity shop quite quickly. Not that I don't trust my brother or anything...

Lilly Nowhere Late

20:12 / 20.04.06

Pirate shirts and all!

20:13 / 20.04.06

Tickletooth, T: Oxford/Regent Sts are a capitalist car crash of consumerism

and Muji is right next to McDonalds! (on Oxford Street). They also make some nice cuddly toys (and some which don't have eyes and are hence a little creepy)

Tabitha Tickletooth

20:18 / 20.04.06

Oh no. That baby jolly roger t-shirt is a bit good, isn't it? What have I done?????

Lilly Nowhere Late

20:21 / 20.04.06

Goth baby clothes

Even if they did end up in a charity shop, just think how happy you'd make whoever re-bought them. And surely the parents would have to dress up 'lil spike for you.

21:32 / 20.04.06

For a child so young you could buy a 'lifebook ' it is a journal for parents or a close relative to record every milestone-from the first smile to the first day at school-in a child's baby book for posterity

Basically you put information and pictures in a book for the baby to read when they are no-longer a baby. You can buy these books from most baby/mothercare/card shops quite cheaply; the parents may already have one though. The real gift is taking the time and effort to fill one in.

You said in the original post that you will be going over there for a few weeks; I am guessing that this will be the first time you will meet or spend time with the family and mother of your new family member... (guessing). Any uncomfortable silences that could ensue when you have to spend time with somebody you don’t know to well could be solved by filling in the lifebook/journel.

Maybe bring something from England with you that will last, such as, some acorn seeds to plant or a small animal that will destroy Australia’s eco system.

Failing that, young children seem always to be more interested in the shiny wapping paper and bows/glitter/boxes that come with a present, you could just buy hir this but it may not impress the parents to much.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

21:45 / 20.04.06

Does anyone else keep reading the title of this thread as "Where do you buy a baby?"

Anyway, how 'bout one of these?

I'm partial to My Little Sleipnir personally, or possibly Kali, Destroyer of Toys.

21:59 / 20.04.06

Does anyone else keep reading the title of this thread as "Where do you buy a baby?"

I keep reading it as "What do you do to buy a baby?" Befriend a black market baby seller I would guess.

22:50 / 20.04.06

Camden Market's good for baby stuff. Babygrows and tee-shirts with tube signs on them might seem exotic to an Oz baby. They work a treat in Scotland.

09:22 / 21.04.06

Tab, if your bro isn't looking for a surprise perhaps you could actually ask him what they want and/or need. We've been given sooo many clothes and sooo many toys that I'm getting to the point where I'm suggesting to people that they speak to us before they buy. I know it's not as fun, but is practical and if there's one thing parents of young children want it's practical stuff (note, practical stuff need not be boring, it could be a special going out top, for example).

13:58 / 21.04.06

Great point, Boboss. Some friends of mine, when they had their first child, had an online birth announcement with photo album on one page and a baby registry on another. It was enormously helpful for those of us long distance friends who'd have no idea what they needed or wanted... it also had a wide price range as the mom's family was wealthy but they had a lot of broke college friends. One option I really liked was any number of people could buy one month's worth of diaper service for them, which I did, and they were really appreciative. Not so appropriate for TT's particular situation but for anyone else who might stumble into the thread....

Tabitha Tickletooth

14:11 / 21.04.06

Boboss your suggestion is very sensible and fair. Thing is, I'm not giving the baby a gift to fill a gap for my brother. In fact, I am giving a present to the baby, not to my brother. There is plenty of family from both parents' sides around to supply needs and wants.

In addition, I have to hump whatever it is from London to Australia. If he is not asking for clothes, a book or a small toy, I won't be fitting it in my pack. In which case, I suppose I could just give him £20 when I get there and tell him to get what he wants.

That seems rather un-gifty to me. No fun for me. No fun for baby. Can't even imagine it would be much fun for my brother. I do appreciate what you are saying though, and I've no doubt it will be one more bit of clutter he doesn't need or want. But at least, as Lilly reasons, if it turns up down the charity shop someone else is going to have a result!

14:12 / 21.04.06

We thought about setting up a similar list and then promptly forgot about the idea - which I now regret.

If we had a local nappy service (which we don't but we bloody well aught to considering Brighton is a middle class parent hotspot, and it's not like nappy services are unheard of in the UK) that would be the perfect gift.

Tabitha Tickletooth

14:21 / 21.04.06

I've just reread that and it sounds really snarky. It's so not meant to, Boboss - I really did appreciate your suggestion.

I think I'm a bit funny about gifts, to be honest. Registers, such as that mentioned by Ibis, leave me cold. I know it's practical, potentially less wasteful and genuinely appreciated by those who go down that path. It just doesn't feel like the joy of giving presents to me. I'm sure there was a thread about the gift giving ethos before (probably related to someone's wedding, which is where these registers usually rear their head).

I think giving presents should be fun for giver and receiver, and I like to think that when someone gets a present from me, they know I thought about what would make them happy.

14:37 / 21.04.06

Hey, no snark received, and yeah, I know what you mean about being ungifty, however...

Thing is, I'm not giving the baby a gift to fill a gap for my brother. In fact, I am giving a present to the baby, not to my brother.

But the two need not be mutually exclusive, you can get baby a nice gift that your brother will also appreciate, and bear in mind that if you get baby something your brother might not want/need/doesn't like then it could well be dumped in a cupboard never to be seen again - and that would defeat the point of the whole exercise.

If you don't want to ask him, try getting a cool item of clothing or a book that he's is likely to approve of. Something that embodies a bit of your character but that won't tread on mum or dad's aesthetic toes. Something memorable enough to be kept out of the cupboard, and practical enough to actually get used.

Spyder Todd 2008

01:46 / 24.04.06

Might I suggust this for the child?

Less searchable M0rd4nt

01:54 / 24.04.06

Those guys may be plushy an all (I have a baaaaby shoggoth myself), but I don't think they're actually child-safe.

02:17 / 24.04.06

Darwinlicious!