Some people have been talking – and the talk isn’t all positive. Push presents are popular here in the US right now, but not everyone thinks that they should be. They say that women do not need a gift for going through pregnancy and labor, that the baby (or babies) should be gift enough.
While this is true, every baby born is a gift beyond compare, it doesn’t hurt to have a small gift to commemorate the occasion. There are already baby showers and some people think that a woman who is going to have a baby should receive everything she needs at a shower. But, baby showers are designed to gift parents with things the baby will need.
A push present is nothing more than a special gift that is usually from a father to be (or new dad) to the mother of his child. Tradition has evolved and other people will now give a small gift, though it is still the father of the new baby that gives the special ‘thank you’ gift to mom.
Some gifts can certainly be considered excessive. We all know about the celebrity push presents that cost thousands of dollars. To most people this is excessive. While celebrities have a lot of money to throw at retailers, the rest of us usually stay within the bounds of our budget.
That isn’t to say a push present has to be cheap or that it isn’t special unless it is expensive. Quite the contrary – handmade push presents are full of love and caring from the creator. A handmade gift doesn’t mean cheap, materials to create such a gift can be quite costly. Even if it is a recycled/upcycled creation – who can put a price tag on creativity?
If a gift makes someone uncomfortable, it may be excessive or possibly inappropriate. Many women say that while they don’t need a push present, they also say that they would not turn down a thoughtful gift from their partner. The feeling behind the gift is more important than the gift itself.
You don’t have to be a celebrity or rich to give the new mom in your life a great push present. Try out some of our ideas or come up with your own for something that isn’t ‘excessive’.
A few ideas for a NON-excessive push present:
Simple ring for mom with the baby’s birthstone.
Flowers.
A heartfelt card.
Simple earrings – birthstone of baby.
Spa day.
A basket of mom’s favorite bath items.
Gift card to mom’s favorite online retailer. (Shopping from a hospital room can be therapeutic!)
A freezer full of frozen meals you prepared or had prepared.
Gift certificates for dining out.
There are so many more things that would make great gifts and would not be considered excessive. Follow the mom’s lead – if she mentions push presents, try to gauge what she thinks of them. If she feels that they are too much, then if you do decide to give her one, don’t call it a push present. In fact, you don’t have to call it anything, just hand her a small gift and give her a hug.