Today’s Hint: Don’t Forget “The Help Present”

The week before my second baby arrived was a rough one.

My toddler got a bad head cold and had to stay home from preschool a couple of days. And to make matters worse, I became sick and ended up having to go to the hospital for 24 hours of monitoring and fluids.

Enter my mom. As my husband and I needed help and were worried that the little guy might come early, my mom flew in a few days earlier than planned and saved the day as usual, cooking us food, doing laundry, taking our 2 year old to school and just generally providing support. Then, after baby arrived, she has continued to be a huge help, and will be staying with us off and on for a few weeks.

So, before my due date, I made sure to buy my mom something special – a nice artsy ring that I call her “help present.” And I plan to buy my mother-in-law, who will be coming in soon to help as well, something similar.

There’s the push present to thank moms for giving birth, the sibling gift to help older brothers and sisters accept the new member of the family and today’s hint is not to forget “the help present,” a gift to say “thank you” to those grandparents, in laws or others who go above and beyond helping you out in the weeks after a birth.

To thank my mom, I took her to a local shop with stylish and unique jewelry and had her pick out whatever she wanted, my treat. Not only did she have fun trying on different styles, but the shopping trip also was a nice bonding activity for us amidst all the chaos of expecting a new baby.

Don’t  have the budget for a jewelry gift? You don’t necessarily need to spend a lot on a help present – it’s really the gesture that counts. A framed picture of the newborn baby and the helper can make a great, relatively inexpensive gift as can a customized photo iPhone case, a baby footprint keepsake, a massage gift certificate or a dinner out (check out Pinterest for more ideas).

The important thing is just to show your gratitude in a way that your family member or friend will appreciate.

Have you ever given a help present – if so, what was it and why? What are your thoughts on push, sibling and help presents – yea or nay, and why? How did you say “thank you” to those who helped you with your new baby? Share your thoughts below.

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