Baby Gifts for Staff and Coworkers

When my first daughter was born, my husband’s workplace sent us a large, pink flower arrangement accompanied by a big white stuffed bear.

I remember this gift not so much because I treasured it for months, but mainly because we have photos of me sitting, tired and frazzled, next to the dining room table where we placed the arrangement.

The flowers survived for a couple of days – I was too tired and busy to properly trim them and take care of them – and the bear had to be tossed because a tag attached to it clearly said “small parts, not for children under 3.”

Was it an unthoughtful gift? In a way it was, because I had no use for the flowers and no time to care for them; and the stuffed bear wasn’t an appropriate gift for a newborn. I can’t say that I was unhappy with the gift though – it wasn’t inexpensive, and it showed that they cared enough to acknowledge the big event.

However, I would certainly have preferred a more useful gift.

The main problem when getting baby gifts for staff or for coworkers is that you can’t get too personal. In many cases, you don’t really know the person all that well, and you also have the constraint of keeping the gift appropriate, so “fun” or “naughty” gifts are out of the question.

But going for the standard flower arrangement, with or without a stuffed animal, with or without a box of chocolates, is the easy way out. How about getting the new mom a more useful gift?

A few ideas for useful and thoughtful coworker baby gifts:

1. Gift cards. If this is a corporate gift for a staff member, or if a few coworkers combine their gifts to purchase a single card, this can be a great new baby gift, because it is very practical and it enables the new parents to buy whatever they need, or want, for the new baby. The main drawback of a gift card is that it lacks flare and style – it’s just a notch above giving cash.

2. Baby clothes. Newborns go through so many clothes, that a gift of baby clothes is always appreciated. If you don’t want to settle for a boring, uninspired gift of baby clothing, go with Baby Bunch – their baby clothes gifts are beautifully arranged into baby clothes bouquets and baby clothes gift baskets. Gorgeous, practical and always appropriate, this is one of my favorite baby shower gifts these days.

3. Gift Baskets. I like to give a spa gift basket for the new mom. Moms never fail to be ecstatic about getting a pampering gift for themselves for a change, especially during a time in their life when the baby takes precedence and their own needs become less important.

Personally, I would avoid sending flowers to a coworker or to a staff member who just had a baby. Sure, it’s an “easy” solution, but it’s one of the most banal gifts you can possibly give.

Photo by roxeteer

Tagged as: corporate baby gifts, coworker baby gifts