| A baby shower, like most gift-giving
occasions, is a cause for joy for some and panic for others. What
does the new mom want or need? How much should I spend? What if
I give the same thing as everyone else? Shopping for a gift takes
time, and often causes frustration, even when you’re shopping
for someone you know. What do you give a newborn? Or should you
focus on the mom-to-be? For some people, the stress and indecision
leads them to settle on giving a gift of cash. A baby shower registry
is the clear solution to these problems. Not only does it make the
gift-giving process much easier, it also makes life simpler for
the recipient, helping her start to motherhood become much smoother.
First of all, do your best to set up your registry well before your
shower. This gives guests plenty of time to look at your list, and
to find second or third options if their first choice has already
been purchased. Nearly all of the most popular department stores
allow you to create a baby shower registry. The mom-to-be can visit
the store in person, or even go online. Either option is simple
and (depending on how many employees are available to help you out)
quick. You can visit department stores such as JCPenny and Sears,
or you can also create your registry at Babies ‘R’ Us,
Target, and even Wal-Mart. You might decide to register at more
than one store to cover all your needs – perhaps clothing
at one store and toys and baby room items at another.
One of the nicest things about a registry is that it allows the
parents-to-be to consider not only what they will need right after
the birth, but also during the last month of pregnancy and even
the first several months of the child’s life. This way, they
won’t have a surplus of newborn-size sleepers and practically
nothing come month three. It also allows them to choose a variety
of items, from clothing to toys to furniture to adornments. This
means that each guest who visits the store or checks the registry
online will have an array of choices in terms of item and price,
and can select the gift that best suits their tastes and budget.
And, of course, there is no need to worry about gifts being duplicated
– the registry either hides or indicates with a check that
the item has already been purchased. Some registries even let the
buyer sort the gifts by type or price, making it easier than ever
to make a good choice.
Another benefit to using registries is that families or friends
who live far away or simply cannot attend the shower, but still
wish to congratulate the couple and help them with their new arrival,
can use the registry (either online or at their local store) and
have a gift delivered to the parents-to-be, or arrange for it to
be picked up.
Finally, a baby shower registry is an efficient way for the parents
to know what they still need to purchase – not only will they
not forget anything, but they can also start budgeting for certain
items. Simply put, a registry is best for both well-wishers, and
the soon-to-be parents.
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