In this edition of Grandparenting Unfiltered, our columnist Kathy Buckworth makes the case for grandparent baby showers and gifts that actually make life easier for hands-on grandparents and, by extension, new parents too.

What you’ll find in this article:

  • What a grandparent baby shower is and why they’re becoming more popular
  • How grandparent showers can complement, not compete with, traditional baby showers
  • The kinds of gifts that actually support hands-on grandparents
  • Why practical help can be more valuable than baby gear alone
  • Smart, meaningful gift ideas that save time, money and energy
  • How supporting grandparents ultimately helps new parents too

Baby showers have been around for a long time. In fact, the ritual can be traced back to ancient Greece. And really, things haven’t changed that much since then. The mother-to-be is “showered” with gifts from her close friends and family—all contributions to the significant amount of baby equipment and supplies a newborn requires. From diaper trees and customized onesies to pitching in for a new stroller or car seat, it’s still a well-known and much appreciated tradition today.

A New Baby Shower Trend Has Emerged

Lately there’s been a new type of shower washing over families, as “grandparent baby showers” have become popular. To be clear, these should never be seen as taking over the position and priority of the new parents’ celebration. If you’re having a family baby shower, for example, the gifts should be directed to the new parents-to-be, rather than asking the same guests to attend two showers or buy double the gifts. Grandparent baby showers should be a complement to traditional baby showers, with the aim of helping to provide equipment and supplies a hands-on Granny or Grampy might need to add to their home to be as involved as they’d like to be. For example, an up-to-date crib, a new up-to-code car seat, a supply of diaper-changing supplies are super handy to have on-site, saving Mom and Dad from carting of supplies back and forth.

Gifts That Are Truly Appreciated

While things such as equipment and supplies are welcome, there are other needs that a new grandparents might appreciate to make their transition into their new role less exhausting and less expensive.

Here are some smart and meaningful ideas to consider:

  1. Baby proofing: There might be a lot of breakables, as well as dangerous spots in Grandma and Grandpa’s house that aren’t aware of. Getting a certificate for a professional baby proofer to check the house, as well as to install any necessary safeguards, is a gift that both parents and grandparents will appreciate as grandbaby starts moving around their home. (You can gift this one early, even if you know the little one will be stationary for some time.)
  2. A first-aid refresher course: It’s probably been a while since the new grandparents took a course on how to help a baby if they are choking, what to do if an infant or toddler has a high fever or if they are injured in any way. Finding a course and taking it with them could be a literal lifesaver. If it takes place at the hospital closest to where the grandkids live, even better.
  3. Housecleaning: It’s partly an aesthetic thing, but it’s also a hygienic move to have Grandma and Grandpa’s house as clean a state as possible. Also, if Grandma and Grandad have been out at the baby’s house all day, or working outside the house with limited time at home, walking into a clean house and being able to spend time with the new grandchild versus scrubbing a toilet can be very attractive.
  4. Driveway clearing or yard work: Driveway clearing in Canada in the winter is a job that has to be done. If grandparents can’t leave their home because the driveway and steps are too snowy and icy, they can’t get to their grandkids. Plus, they’d rather spend the shovelling or mowing time with their family’s new bundle of joy, so give them the time back.
  5. Meal delivery service: After helping out with a newborn all day, the last thing grandparents might feel like doing is making their own meals at home, or maybe they don’t eat the same foods that the new parents do while they’re in their house. Having a meal delivery service (pre-prepared or DIY) can be a time saver and a way to make sure that they’re eating in a more nutritious way than picking up fast food. A healthy grandparent is a helpful grandparent.
  6. Car seat installation: As any new parent can tell you, there are hundreds of ways to install a car seat incorrectly and really only one way to do it properly (with seat-specific instructions, of course). You can pay for a professional installation, or take the time to take the car seat over to your local fire station, where, time permitting, they will help you to get it right.

Time with a new baby is precious, and gifts that offer up a way to make more time (and convenience) for new grandparents is a way to make their presence a true present for the their own children as they welcome a new addition.