When raising a tiny human, it’s easy to neglect self-care. Give the new mums and dads in your life something that will help them re-energise for the long days (and nights) ahead of nappies, tantrums and Caillou.
Toddlers Are A**holes: It’s Not Your Fault
Bunmi Laditan’s hilarious guide may be just the thing parents need to get through the valley of absurdity known as toddlerhood. They will laugh (and possibly sob) as they sit with their sippy cup of wine at 1AM, flipping through the pages to find nuggets of wisdom on everything from Pull-Ups (“the Spanx of diapers”) to the mountains of bath toys (“By the time you go to take a shower, it will be like cleansing yourself inside a dollar store”). Welcome to the club.
Weighted Blanket
As you may have heard, new parents are pretty tired. While you can’t give them more sleep (there is a tiny human they must tend to), you can help make their precious Zzzzs more restful with a weighted blanket. The InYard blanket uses deep touch pressure, which science has shown to relax the nervous system and stimulate the release of the “happy hormone” serotonin. It all feels like a big, warm hug. There, there, friend. There, there.
Kindle Oasis E-reader
The first waterproof Kindle will let the most determined new mums and dads finish that murder mystery (or, more likely, How to Get Your Kid to Stop Crying, Volume One) on a device that can withstand the leaks, spills and messes of parenthood. It’s designed for one-handed reading, and the brightness of the display automatically adjusts to dimly lit rooms – perfect for all those middle-of-the-night feedings.
Korean Sheet Masks
Sheet masks can give tired faces a little pick-me-up, and when used over time, can help push skin to that elusive next level. The ones from Dermal Korea are affordable – get two 16 combo packs and you can make an entire sheet mask advent calendar – and are soaked in soothing ingredients such as aloe, pearl powder and a herb called portulaca. For new parents, the days may be long, but their skin can look glowing.
A Snack Subscription Box
In the early days of new parenthood, proper sit-down meals seem like a distant memory. During the day, you graze on whatever you can grab while bouncing a baby up and down, and then when your bundle finally falls asleep, you party. Give parents the gift of glorious sustenance. There are various snack subscription boxes available which contain an assortment of rip-open-and-devour fare, ranging in health from gnibl to The Secret Snack Society.
Babysitting Gift Certificate
If you have a friend who could use a night out that’s free of poop-colour analysis and Daddy Finger videos, give a gift certificate to a service such as Night Nannies or Lullaby Nanny Share, services which let them book a babysitter on-demand. The services do background checks on all their nannies, so your giftee can have peace of mind as she jets out the door.
Living Proof Dry Shampoo
For those days when you don’t have time for a thorough lather, rinse and repeat, there is dry shampoo, and none have garnered as much fame as the Living Proof products. When the mist touches the hair, a patented molecule called OFPMA creates a weightless, invisible shield around every strand. It’s super effective at sopping up oil, sweat and vague funky smells, especially when time is a luxury.
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