Many people seem to like buying stuffed toys when it comes to buying a gift for a newborn baby.
It may be that cuddly and soft toys seem very “safe” for young babies, or that they don’t really know what that parents might need and so buying a stuffed toy is a safe option.
There are two things worthwhile pointing out here:
Firstly, soft and cuddly does not equate to “safe” for baby. As always, when it comes to buying toys for children, we recommend that you follow the manufacturer’s recommended age for that toy.
You might be surprised to know that a lot of plush toys aren’t deemed as being safe for children under the age of 3 years. This is often because these toys have sew on parts for the eyes, nose and mouth and these additional parts could come loose and fall off, raising a potential choking hazard for the young child.
So, if you are buying a gift for a new baby, make sure that it is suitable for a baby.
Secondly, many parents, and we were one of these, hated whenever people bought our children stuffed toys! This is because we already had so many stuffed toys given by other friends and family members and because stuffed toys aren’t very practical or useful! They don’t do anything. And often, just one stuffed toy is enough for the baby. After all, you can’t display ten of these toys in the baby’s crib because it would overcrowd the crib and leave no room for the baby……
Gifts That Parents Really Would Like
So you might be wondering what gifts we would have preferred for our newborns? For me, it meant a useful baby gift such as clothes for the baby, or vouchers that we could use to buy something later on, or even a contribution towards some of the more expensive baby items such as a baby crib or car seat. Baby booties or baby teething rings – anything which would have served a purpose would have been ideal.
Of course, having a stuffed toy, one that is safe, can be a great toy for a new baby. And though babies can’t get up or hold these stuffed toys, you can brush their soft fabric against a baby’s face or hold your baby’s hand and rub that against the stuffed toy, explaining to your baby what the toy is.
Babies will also love it when you stroke their arms, legs and stomach with the soft toy and this play time will give you the chance to include lots of new words into your language as you talk to your baby.
Buying stuffed toys for newborns is the option that many go for when getting a gift for a baby. We would say, ensure that the toy is age appropriate and check that the baby does not already have lots of stuffed toys already.