Present for my first grandchild?

Open a savings account for the child or ask if the parents are starting one. Pay in a regular small sum via direct debit.

Not too many soft toys! If you must, make sure they are washable!

I bought my grandson a ‘jellycat’ bunny, he has two ‘friends’ and this is one of them. He used to take it everywhere with him but he is beginning to leave his bunny and Peter in his room more during the day now. I also gave his parents some money to be used to purchase things they needed.
My daughter is now expecting her second baby - I’m not sure what to do this time round, I’m thinking about reusable nappies which is the intention of the parents this time round.

Calendargirl

Although teddies are lovely, so many babies are inundated with cuddly toys, which often end up in the local charity shop eventually.

Money to go in a savings account or premium bonds would be very useful.

I was going to put in about premium bonds as they don't lose their value and the child can cash them in when they're older if they want to. You can arrange for any wins to be used to buy more bonds and grandparents are allowed to buy them again for their grandchildren (there was a period when it was the parents only who could buy them but that's changed now.)
And you could still buy a bear or something for the child to have.
How about those wooden child seats for children to eat from which can be altered to suit the child as it grows (can't recall the name of the brand, maybe from Scandinavia?)

I’d buy a silver cup or pewter tankard and have it engraved. Something they can keep and will have when they are grown up. My mother buys her great grandchildren books when they are born and for each birthday. Hard bound copies of classics. They each have quite a colllection now sitting on shelves in their bedrooms. They treasure them and will always have them long after their great grandmother isn’t around.

It depends if you are buying a present for the baby in which case, as already suggested, a 'proper' collectable teddy bear and/or savings would be good.
Or are you thinking of a general present for the parents to make their lives easier? In that case the baby monitor mentioned by other posters is an excellent idea.

If they drive a car seat would be good.Congratulations you have a lot of fun to look forward too.

All of our grandchildren received a Steiff teddy, it started when we were in Germany and bought one for the first, after that it's become a habit!

A collectable teddy - Steif etc. Boxed set of Beatrix Potter books and set up a junior ISA which you (and others) can contribute to each month. My father did that for his DGC and my DD founded her gap year trip to Aus when she was 18. I am doing same for my DGD for when they are 18

Apologies if this has been mentioned in previous posts. My family have always found bouncy chairs invaluable. In the months before a baby can sit up they can be laid in these chairs and see what is going on around them. I have cooked many a meal standing on one leg and gently tapping the chair with the other to keep a baby entertained. As you have found, prams, pushchairs, buggies are very expensive. When my youngest GD was on her way I went with my daughter to a baby shop to look for a double buggy. When I mentioned how expensive, just north of £1,000, was for a buggy, the assistant looked at me and told me it was a travel system. Good excuse to bump up the price, I suppose. Enjoy your new grandchild. If I had known how delightful grandchildren are, I would have had them first. Good luck with it all.

One of my grandsons had a Peter Rabbit. It got so grubby that he ended up with 3 so they could be washed. It was a shock when he realised there was more than one. He is now 9 and still gets a new version every year. Other grandson favoured red pandas and youngest is collecting hungry caterpillars.

I think one of the most useful things my daughter had was (and I think it is called?) Angel Care Bath cradle?? Baby can lie back safely in the bath. Enjoy!

I always thought ,if you can afford it of course, set up a bank account and put the money there for the baby. Even if its not needed now it will come in useful in the future. Babies nowadays get plenty of " things" but money for the future won't go amiss.

Oh for the days when the news of an impending birth just meant a trip to Mothercare and job done!
As far as bears - Jellycat do a range of bears/ animals that are lovely and soft and squidgy and suitable from birth.
There is always Harrods for their dated bears with the year embroidered on the foot.
Otherwise, wait and see what is given by others and then fill in the gaps!

I bought one of these for my grandaughter - she's 16 months now and it's still used every night to go to sleep.

www.fisher-price.com/en-gb/product/soothe-n-snuggle-otter-fxc66

Oh for the days when the news of an impending birth just meant a trip to Mothercare and job done!


Or a signal to get out your knitting needles!

'Collectable' teddy bears are often not as collectable as you think. It takes years before a bear becomes worth something and then not always. Also you might feel upset if the child doesn't seem to love the expensive bear you bought. Or if they love it too much, it won't be collectable in the end! But if you want to choose a bear, buy British like Merrythought. Steiff are German.

I bought all my grandchildren when they were born a 'Steiff' teddy bear. They range in designs and prices and are beautiful toys that should be kept and passed down. I still have mine that my granddad bought me and I will not be giving it away!

I'll second the premium bond idea. This is long lasting and may even win a prize to add to it. Your new grandchild needs little as a young baby so along with a teddy bear, premium bonds would be good. My Nan bought me premium bonds and I still have them now along with a couple of wins. God bless her.

The Windsor chair sounds like a wonderful present.

I agree Calendargirl,i gave money to all four of my grandchildren and my son`s`and dil`s opened a bank account for them.

Our granddaughter had an amazing present from her parents while on holiday when she was tiny and we have since bought the same gift numerous times for any new family or friend's babies and they all love it.. it is a seahorse that plays soft music but also has the sound of the sea gently playing in the background..it's on a timer and the child can press it's tummy to keep it playing.... its so soothing and calms them at bedtime..indeed our granddaughter used hers until she was about 5-6 and he's still on her bed now. A special present indeed.

Congratulations ? grandbabies are the most wonderful things in the world. From personal experience if you're going to buy the Teddy ? the little one will love, buy 2 so there is always a spare if one gets lost or just getting washed. I bought loads of toiletries and nappies. Which you can never have enough of xx

As the name suggests, I'm not a nana (or a mama either...) but I have observed that babies get a tremendous amount of "stuff" - clothes which they grow out of very quickly indeed, lots (and lots and lots) of toys...none of which will be remembered as having been "given my a grandparent in years to come.

I suppose the question is "how well-off are you?" and "how much do you want to spend?"

If you are a bit broke (and aren't we all?) then perhaps you could save a small amount every week - by the time the child is 18 it will have grown into bigger amount for an 18th birthday present.

Perhaps you could find a nice wooden toy chest, or a child's wooden chair (antique or modern) which they in turn can pass on to their own children when the time comes. As someone said upthread, a child's chair can be turned into a chair for soft toys when the child has got too big, and a wooden chest in always useful for storage in later years...

If the baby is a girl. perhaps a nice piece of jewellery which might be worn as they grow up and which will be worn when they are grown up? (I recently had a pair of pearl drop earrings converted into 2 pearl pendants, one of which I put onto a gold chain for the baptism of a child of my acquaintance...she is too young to wear it now, but she will grow into it. (I kept the other one and wear it myself.)

If the baby is a boy that idea is a bit more difficult...

We bought a few bits and bobs - including a travel cot as I recall, which was very useful when she stayed here.
As others, we opened a bank account for her. We put a monthly amount in, increasing it when we were able. It has just helped her to get through university.

How about promise to buy the next stage car seat. The pram will probably be one that has a car seat inbuilt but that doesn't last long. Car seats are very expensive. Of course a little gift initially would be a must.