What do people think of baby gift lists?

[Toni_Win]

We've got several family members asking us what we want them to buy us for the baby. We find it really difficult to ask people for presents. When we got married we didn't have a wedding list at all and just told people the best present they could give us was to just come and celebrate with us.

So now I don't know what to do for the baby. People really want to buy things for us and want to buy us the things we want and need, rather than just going out and buying random baby clothes.

I'm planning on going baby shopping at the weekend, but have realised that ToysRUs have a baby registry which works just like a wedding list. So I was thinking about choosing what things we need at the weekend, and picking out the specific items, then rather than buying everything, put it on a gift list, then the family can choose and buy from that. Then whatever isn't bought by family we can buy ourselves.

This then gives people the option of how much to spend rather than me saying to say my SIL for example, please buy item x for us, and it being more than she wanted to spend.

Do you guys think this sounds reasonable? How would you guys feel if your family members did this for their babies? Just thought I'd see what the general opinion was.

Thanks.

 

[Mummy2Adam]

It sounds a great idea, when i had Adam we ended up with two of things sometime 3 or 4 so your list will make sure this doesnt happen and i think its a great idea as your family still get to choose x x

 

[pinkyprincess]

I love it. It stops family buying things you dont want or need!

 

[suzzi]

can you get gift certificates then people can give what they want and you can go out on a big shopping spree x x

 

[star fish]

I think this would cause a few raised eyebrows in my family. They would think it presumptuous. I generally just drop hints about what things I still need to buy, and have told everyone I would be thrilled if I got gift vouchers for Christmas this year as there is so much we need to get (hopefully they will be smart enough to get me vouchers for useful places and not for WHSmiths!)

 

[TashaWink]

I think its great! Especially as they're all asking what to get!

 

[BabyBrain]

Do the lists allow accumulation? Like is there's something expensive could a few people put towards the same thing? I have been thinking about this cos my mum and dad are planning to buy all this stuff when they haven't got very much money and my FIL who is loaded and tighter than a ducks bum thinks he can buy us a cot from a car boot sale xxxxxxxx

 

[Sarah13]

I'd be too embarrassed to do a list, I dont really like the whole list thing so we didn't have a wedding list either. We've had some lovely gifts, personally Id rather people choose themselves. I also rarely buy from lists either feels a bit odd to me. We did have people ask and I just said it was up to them so we've ended up with some nice cash gifts as well to pick things ourselves or put the money in an account for him. Guess it's a personal thing and you know your friends and family best.

 

[l_maclean]

I think if people are already asking then its a good way to give them the option. You dont need to broadcast it to everyone, but if people ask then you have something to point them in the right direction. Id go for it.
xxx

 

[Iriki]

Hmmm, I think it's a bit cheeky to have a list for baby presents to be honest. Just my opinion, please don't be offended anyone! Most people don't buy presents until after baby has arrived, and personally speaking I would want to have everything baby needs done and dusted before he/she arrives and not rely on someone else to provide it.
If it's close family and they want to buy something substantial than you should be comfortable enough / close enough to them to say we want, This cot or That pram or whatever, everybody else should be left to their own devices to decide what to buy baby - usually this falls into the category of clothes, bed linen, blankets, photo frames, nursery decorations, soft toys etc.... I've never come across a baby registry list for baby presents and TBH I think if I was presented with one, I wouldn't buy anything from it on principal.

Again, just my opinion, different people will have different comfort zones
Bottom line it's OUR job to provide for our children not our family/friends..... Anything they want to give us is a bonus not a requirement.

 

[jomc]

I can see where ur coming from.
But Im too embarrassed to ask people for certain things. If it was me, and I had a list set up, I think I would approach it quite subtley.... so if someone asked me what we would like, I would say well we have a list of a few bits we havent gotten around to getting yet. But Id try to make it out that it wasnt so much a giftlist.
I think it really depends on your circle of family/friends. We both have an extremely small family and a small group of friends, so I think in our case a list wouldnt really work anyway.
I think if people ask us what we want, Im going to say nothing pops into mind they can get what they like or Mothercare/Boots vouchers

 

[Toni_Win]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. It's great to see a balance of opinions. Iriki, I agree with you that it is our responsibility to provide everything for our baby and we will. I want to make sure that we have everything on our list bought and at home well before baby arrives. And I recognise that most people will buy gifts after the baby has arrived. However, as I said several family members have asked what they can buy us that would be useful before baby comes, and my boss has told me they will be doing a collection at work, so wants to know what to buy before I go on maternity leave. That's why I thought of this as a possible idea.

I think I'm going to do something less formal than an official gift list at Toys R Us or Mothercare. I've made a list of everything we need, then this weekend I'm going to go shopping and try everything out, and hopefully decide on the specific items (i.e. brand, model, etc). Then when family ask what we want I can say these are the things we still need to get, then they can choose from whatever is left on the list, like jomc suggests.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[jomc]

sounds like a plan hun
Lovely that your work have told you they are doing a collection as well.
Our place has had such a babyboom lately that the collections are tiny as nobody can afford anymore haha!

 

[NinjaKitty]

I'm using baby lists in a couple of places but it's more to keep track of what we want/need etc. If anyone asks I'll point them towards it. However I won't send it out without being prompted.