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Forget race. Forget religion. Forget location. Forget class.
The biggest barrier between people may very well be parenthood. Having a child changes one’s life to such a degree that those without children of their own simply can’t comprehend the differences.
One of the most obvious manifestations of this comes when a person without kids has to buy a gift for an expectant parent.
The entire process can become stress-inducing and perplexing. Babies R Us might as well be a foreign land for most adults that don’t have any kids (or regularly care for them).
There’s no need to have an anxiety attack, though. Just follow our simple directions below and you’ll go from being a clueless non-parent to impressing even the most experienced of baby shoppers.
Unless you are buying diapers for a preemie, just go ahead and skip the newborn diapers. They only last until the baby weighs 10 pounds. Some babies are born at 10 pounds or more and can never use them. Even those who weigh less often get up to 10 pounds fairly quickly. Sure, a parent may smile and thank you if you give them newborn diapers, but in the back of their mind their wishing you would have sprung for the size 1s (or even 2s, because it will save them down the road).
Let’s say you are going to a baby shower. Let’s say you are shopping using the registry. Let’s say you notice that somebody already bought the listed burp cloth and blanket. Let’s say you then decide to bypass the burp cloth and blanket because they’ve already been purchased. Wrong move! A parent can never have enough burp cloths and blankets. Babies are machines when it comes to making messes, so the more burp cloths and blankets on hand the better.
Becoming a parent does something to people. That same logical and thoughtful person you’ve been friends with for years can quickly transform into a bizarre parent you barely recognize. That’s why it’s best to always ask your expectant parent a few key questions before just going and buying them something. Some parents give their kids pacifiers, others don’t. Some moms breastfeed only, others use formula. Some parents sleep with their babies, others use basinets. Some moms swear by baby monitors, others fear they can get hacked and refuse to use them. The last thing you want to do is buy a parent something they don’t believe in.
People without kids often fail to recognize the subtle intricacies of toys. It can be very tricky for a novice to tell the difference between a toy designed for a 2-year-old and a toy designed for a 2-month-old. There are HUGE differences, though. Life is so crazy for new parents that receiving a toy your child won’t be able to use for years is a real pain. There is already enough stuff to organize and keep track of without having to worry about storing a toy that won’t be worthwhile for 2 years.
You know your present is going to rock. You can’t wait until that moment your bestie opens up your present and is impressed to find a Gucci onesie inside. You then look on in shock as she shows way more interest in the cheap green frog onesie her sister gave her than the Gucci onesie you spent a fortune on. That’s just how it goes with baby clothes. Adorable items almost always beat out boring brand name stuff. Note: Unless your friend is a Normcore zealot, you definitely want to stay away from normcore baby clothing. Parents like dressing their kids up in fun stuff. They aren’t generally concerned with making their babies look as ordinary as possible.
Check out Adventures in Teaching for cool tips on how to deal with first graders.
