Gift tips: Gift card, gift receipt, gift registry
BY ALTHEA PETERSON World Staff Writer
Monday, December 03, 2012
12/03/12 at 6:02 AM
Because I Said So is a blog written by five parents and one grandparent.
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A few weeks ago I gave some baby (shower) gift ideas. Here's the opposite: Don't give these gifts.
All gifts will usually warrant a kind "thank you" from the recipient and perhaps a thank-you card or phone call. These gifts warrant a gift receipt so you can return them faster.
Duplicate gifts
Usually new parents have smaller homes to begin with because they are early in their careers and fresh off student loans. As such, there's no room for spare cribs, three strollers and identical stuffed animals.
How to remedy/avoid: Ask for gift receipts with every gift and include it with the gift when giving.
Use gift registries when shopping and requesting gifts. Make sure that would-be givers know about your registries. Give gift cards instead of specific items.
Used safety equipment
Saving a buck on a kid's car seat or bike helmet by going with a used one is not a good or a safe idea.
As kidshealth.org notes, helmets don't work as well after a major crash.
The same can be said for other child safety equipment after an incident, even if the safety device looks about the same as it did when it was new.
How to remedy/avoid: Buy a new but less expensive item that passed the same safety tests as the more expensive item.
A recalled item
Drop-down-side cribs, cartoon character glasses with cadmium and an infant seat that babies can squirm out of without a safety strap: All have been recalled within the past few years.
How to remedy/avoid: Know what toys have been recalled by visiting tulsaworld.com/toyrecalls
Baby-specific items that have been recalled can be viewed at tulsaworld.com/babyrecalls.
Items that aren't age appropriate
The first thing that comes to my mind when I see a lot of toys is how fast they would go in my 8-month-old's mouth if she got a hold of them, and if they're too small or would fall apart, would choke on them.
At the same time, I usually can't go onto an online server of a mature-rated video game without hearing 5-year-olds cursing during losing battles.
When I saw "Hellboy" about a decade ago, I remember a 3-year-old behind me saying, "Mommy, I don't want to see this movie" as the opening sequence began. Seriously, a toddler in a movie called "Hellboy?!"
So, for safety and other reasons, try to give gifts that are appropriate for certain age groups.
How to remedy/avoid: Check the labels on toys, board games and dolls for what ages they are appropriate.
Check video games and movies for ESRB (E for Everyone, T for Teen, M for Mature) and CARA (G for General audiences, PG for parental guidance, R for restricted) ratings.
Althea Peterson 918-581-8361
althea.peterson@tulsaworld.com
