Why Make A Holiday Wish List For Baby
We get it, you may be thinking that its just another thing to add to your holiday to-do list. But making a wish list for your little ones holiday gifts can make things easier on both you and your family and friends who want to buy gifts for baby. A wish list enables you to get what you want so you can avoid gifts that end up as clutter. It also answers a question youll inevitably get over and over: What should we get the baby for the holiday?
If you had a Babylist baby registry when you were expecting, you probably already understand the perks of having a list of your must-have and most-wanted items readily available online. An online holiday wish list has the same perks:
- Easy to organize by category
- Include direct links to specific items
- Easily include correct size and color info
- Reduce the risk of doubling up on gifts since purchased gifts are automatically removed from the list
- Have the option to see whats been purchased
- Provide buying options so gift givers can choose their preferred store
Organizing Babys Wish List
Using Babylist for your childs holiday or birthday wish list means you have the capability to organize your items into categories, which can make your curation process feel so much more streamlined. Specific categories can also help your friends and family as theyre going through the list and deciding what to get. There are a few ways to organize a wish list, and you can choose the one that works best for you:
The Parents Sent An Invitation With A Wish List From Toys R Us
Dear Moneyologist,
My son is invited to a kids birthday party. The child is turning 6 years of age and his mother is a casual friend of around two years. The invitation was emailed yesterday and today I receive and update stating he now has a Toys R Us gift registry. They include Franklins Sports Soft Tip Target Toss , Nerf Sport Lighting Scoop Toss and Fisher-Price Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Pals . I am now turned off from attending this party. This seems very selfish. What if families cant afford these gifts? What if the families cant afford a gift at all?
Flabbergasted Mom in New Jersey
Dear Flabbergasted,
My initial reaction was the same as yours: You now want me to furnish your childs toy cupboard as well as attend his birthday party? But then I had a swift change of heart. If I had a 6-year-old child, I might think that $14.99 is a small price to pay for a days babysitting. I could catch a movie, meet some friends for brunch and revel in the fact that I am not chasing after an army of hyperactive children loaded up on sugar for the afternoon. Its not like anyone would dare to arrive at a childs birthday party empty-handed. If I were the host, however, I would also think carefully about who should receive the wish list at the risk of offending a guest such as yourself.
I can see how people might recoil from a gift registry for a birthday party, and regard it as another example of our entitlement and ridiculous middle class mores.
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I Dont Have Time To Wander The Mall Looking For The Perfect Gift
Toys R Us is closed. Chances are Im buying a gift card somewhere. Or better yet, Ill just get an Amazon gift card which will arrive in my mail two days later in its own little carefully selected tin.
My kids could make a wish list at any given moment of the day of things they want. They run out of Aquabeads, Legos, and Who Would Win books on a regular basis. But every child is different.
Some children would like unlimited amounts of playdough, another kid is wrapped up in Minecraft. Short of asking for suggestions, youre blind guessing in the aisles. Google eight year old boy gift suggestions and you get 20,000 results.
Obnoxious Or Awesome Registering For Kids’ Birthday Gifts
Remember when a child’s birthday was a simple celebration, maybe featuring homemade cupcakes and a nice game of bingo? Not anymore. Today cakes are gourmet, goody bags are a topic of debate and parties feature pony rides and face painting and balloon animals on demand. As guests we’re faced with “no gifts” requests and sibling gift confusion. If you thought the whole topic of kids’ birthdays couldn’t get any more complicated, think again. The latest raging birthday debate centers around gift registries for the wee ones.
When I first heard there was even such a thing, the idea didn’t seem entirely half-baked to me. After all, most of our kids have closets and toy bins overflowing with crap they don’t like or won’t play with, and I don’t know about you but I’ve donated at least 13 redundant copies of Goodnight Moon to Good Will over the years. Plus, well-meaning but clueless relatives frequently ask for gift suggestions anyway. Why not collect your child’s wish list in one convenient place?
The bottom line, says Smith, is timing. “As with all registries, information is only offered after a guest inquires, never before.” In other words, never ever include this info on the invite.
A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.
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How Do I Create A Tactful Birthday Registry
You might still feel like its a little rude to create a list of items guests can purchase for your child. Here are some tips for creating a birthday registry thats more inclusive.
Include gifts in a wide range of price points. Let the guests choose how much they want to spend, by including several gifts in the $5 to $25 range.
Add general suggestions for present ideas. Share clothing sizes, hobbies and interests, allergies, and gifts to avoid .
Offer suggestions for gifts that dont cost anything. Does your child like playdates at the park? Drawings from his or her friends? Kid-friendly recipes to try? These are excellent ideas to share.
Consider starting a wish list sharing group A what? The most tactful way to share a list of things your child and family needs with others is to create a wish list sharing group. Setup your private group with family and loved ones so you see each others wish lists anytime. Nobody has to feel rude or selfish sharing their registry when everyone in your group has a list too. Its a win-win for everyone. More surprises and less awkward conversations.
Now put your gifting anxiety behind you and get back to enjoying birthday parties
Happy gifting!
Amazon’s Universal Wish List
The Image Bank / Multi-Bits / Getty Images
was one of the first sites that encouraged the creation of personal wish lists for birthdays and holidays. When they first introduced the idea, customers were limited to the products that Amazon carries.
Now, with the simple click of a button, you can add an item from anywhere on the web. The service keeps your lists organized, and it’s easy for others to buy from it with no searching required.
In addition to books, CDs, and movies, you can find clothes, electronics, household items, toys, tools, school supplies, furniture, and even grocery items. As a bonus, if you have a prime membership, you’ll get free shipping on most items. Amazon also offers gift-wrapping services.
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Lets Take The Guesswork Out Of It And Make The Birthday Gift Registry Acceptable
Lets start giving kids things that they want.
My kids birthdays are rapidly approaching. We have one in November, two in December. Each child will have a party to celebrate with their class. This means twenty kids and twenty presents. Enter relatives and were talking about more gifts than we know what to do with.
How To Make Babys First Birthday Gift Registry
Preparing for your babys first birthday party also creates another first for your baby: a first birthday gift registry. When youre planning a first birthday party for your kid, I cant recommend using an online registry highly enough.
My first birthday party for my son went the way most first birthdays go it wasnt so much a party for my baby as it was a party about him. As a one-year-old, he had very little idea of what was going onincluding what kind of gifts he needed or wanted. As his mother, it was my job to ask on his behalf with a baby registry.
As he was my first baby, I wasnt entirely sure what sorts of items to request. Toys and clothes were obvious choices, but if everyone bought those, I wouldnt have gotten other things he needed. So, I set up an online registry and sent the link to my guests. That way, they could buy my son gifts that would help support himand meas he moved into toddlerhood.
Dos and Donts For First Birthday Gifts
These are a few of the dos and donts I picked up in my research:
As youre going through your babys wish list, keep in mind hes going to develop rapidly this year. Hell switch from baby food to regular food, begin walking, and may even start potty training! Those milestones should be at the forefront of your mind as you organize your online baby registry.
How to Organize Babys First Birthday Gift Registry Online
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Holiday Wish List Gift Ideas
Youre obviously not limited to these ideas put anything you want onto babys wish list! But these are the most popular wish list items that family and friends love to give:
The number of items on your list will be determined by a few factors, including the amount of space you have for new things in your home, the number of loved ones you anticipate getting gifts for your little one and how many you think they might give, any budget/gift price agreements you may have made with loved ones and whether you prefer a more minimalist approach to gift giving.
As you start gathering ideas for babys wish list, here are a couple more things to consider:
- Start by adding everything you want/everything that catches your eye, then pare down the items based on what you and baby really want.
- Dont expect to receive everything on the list. It would be amazing if you did get everything you asked for, but keep in mind that the longer your wish list is, the less likely you are to get everything on it.
I Recently Had A Friend Attach A Registry To Her Sons Birthday Party Invitation And I Think Its Absolutely Genius
If theres something that they actually want and will play with, Id love to be the one to give it.
A few weeks ago, a family friend came up to me and told me that she absolutely loved the kitchen gadget that we got for them as their wedding gift. She used it every day and thought of us. I couldnt even tell you what it was, but I will tell you that I ordered it off their bridal registry so it was something that they actually needed.
What a great idea-getting people things they actually will use.
Now that invitations are mostly electronic, lets just slip a link to the bottom of it with a list of ideas. The birthday kid will get things he wants, the parents wont have to waste time returning or donating things they dont need or already have, and when the birthday kid plays with your gift, he will say things like, Auntie Karen is the best.
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Think Outside The Box
42. Ask for experiences, not material items. Bonus points if you ask for an experience the giver can enjoywith you. Did you recently see a musical that you really liked? The musical might not be playing anymore by the time your birthday rolls around, but there could be another one that you might enjoy. Visit the theater company’s website and see what is coming up that interests you. Tickets to performances, such as operas, plays, and musicals, make great, memorable gifts. – How to Decide What You Want for Your Birthday, wikiHow Twitter: @wikiHow
43. Don’t make them give you a boring gift. They don’t want to give you it, and you won’t enjoy getting it. “Every holiday season we try and get a unique gift for our loved ones. Only to realize that finding super niche and specific gifts is a difficult task. So we panic and retreat back to our old ways, gifting a boring candle, body lotion, or scarf.” – Amanda Pena, The Best Websites For Unique Gifts, Stocking Stuffers And More, Huffington Post Twitter:@HuffPost
44. You don’t have to decide now. Remember you can register for gift cards. “You get to pick what you want, and since the gift cards don’t expire, you can use them as an emergency fund down the line, which is slightly more practical than a purple KitchenAid mixer.” – Peggy Wang, 13 Unconventional Registry Ideas For The Modern Wedding, BuzzFeed Twitter:@BuzzFeed
A note on prices:
Were Grateful I Promise For Every Thoughtful Gift Weve Received
And Ive demurred plenty of times for my own kids with a They really dont need anything. Ive even tried the No gifts please.
But for their birthdays, people want to buy them something. Its an outward display of love and celebration. I get it, I do it too. Nothing makes me crazier than asking what someone wants for their birthday and them responding, Nothing. Thats basically telling me to go take a wild guess and get it wrong.
I want my kids friends and beloved family members to celebrate their birthdays with smiles on their faces. I want them to think that were the coolest for knowing exactly what they want.
But what is it?
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Do I Need To Justify Why My Child Has A Birthday Wish List
If someone asks for a gift idea, you can send them a link to an online registry. You dont have to explain why you have one. But you might want to have a polite explanation ready, to explain the benefits of a birthday registry.
- Birthday registries help prevent duplicate gifts. Share that your son loves superheroes and baseball, and you have a registry so he doesnt receive too many of the same gift.
- Your child helped you create a list of ideas. If a parent or other child asks what the birthday boy or girl likes, you can share the birthday registry as a list of his or her favorite items.
- A birthday registry reduces gift giving anxiety. You can share your childs interests and hobbies, and offer the registry as an optional resource if someone wants more specific gift ideas.
Save Money For The Guest:
- avoid wasting money – no duplicate items and only items that the host wants/needs
- avoid disappointment – your host chooses the items they want/need – you simply pick the gift that you would like to contribute towards
- save money on petrol – no hectic travelling from store to store
- save money on wrapping – no wrapping of presents means more money to contribute towards gifts or more money saved by you – you choose
- save money on shipping & handing – no shipping & handling fees means more money to contribute towards gifts or more money saved by you – you choose
- free to view a registry
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General Tips For Creating A Birthday Wish List
25. Don’t expect your family to read your mind. A Registry will prevent you from hurt feelings if your family doesn’t know your wants as well as you expected and it can save them the disappointment of not nailing it. “No one knows you like you do. And that isnt about not loving you enough or paying too little attention. Its about the simple fact that only you have access to the inside of your head.” – Brit Reints, How to Get Exactly What You Want for Your Birthday, in Pursuit of Happiness Twitter:@missbritt
26. Dont write off a registry for a kids party too quickly. Its hard to know what to buy a 6-year-old or a 10-year-old, for that matter. I have no idea what the kids are into these days. I would regard a birthday registry for children of very close friends as a God-send. Why? I am always stumped at what I should buy them. – Quentin Fottrell, I was Invited to a Childs Birthday with a Gift Registry. Is that Normal?, MarketWatch Twitter:@MarketWatch
29. Stumped? Look for inspiration. “It can be hard finding gifts that are out-of-the-box and just unique enough to be special. If you know which sites to visit, you can be presented with dozens and even hundreds of great gifts that not everyone in the world has.” – 11 Best Websites to Find Unique & Unusual Christmas Gifts, Dodoburd Twitter:@dodoburdstuff
How Do I Let Guests Know About My Childs Birthday Registry
Including a registry on an invitation isnt typical for birthdays. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can help other kids and parents find the perfect present for your child. Here are some tricks to try:
- Ask for an RSVP, and give your contact information. Theres a good chance a mom or dad will contact you for present ideas, and you can share the birthday registry or suggestions.
- Include the birthday party theme on the invitation. If your daughter is having a unicorn birthday party, youve already given a huge hint about the type of presents shed probably like.
- Have a registry ready to share. When someone reaches out to you for present ideas, have a birthday registry link prepared to offer them.
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