Going Off the Registry

by Katie Saltz

Although a registry serves as a great guide, don’t be afraid to go off the list when preparing a baby shower gift. The average mom can appreciate an alternative, unique idea from a friend. If the registry is tapped out, you are low on cash, or you are attending a shower for a second baby, you can still give a gift a new mom will love. Readers submitted the following gifts that they received (or wish they had!)

• Coupons for baby-sitting so parents can have a night out, or coupons for a few hours of housework and laundry to lighten the load.

• An itenerary for a “big siblings only” outing, where you take the older children out for an activity so mom and dad can bond with the new baby.

• Homemade freezer meals, or gift cards to a favorite restaurant that offers carry out.

• A donation to charity in the baby’s name.

• A gift basket full of jars of baby food.

• A gift for the older sibling celebrating his or her new role in the family, like a “Big Brother” T-shirt or “Big Sister” necklace.

• Diapers and wipes. Moms across the board agree these gifts are never exchanged for something else.