When gifting a parent, there's a careful balance of finding a functional present, but also one that says "Hey, I know you still have an identity outside of being a procreator." With soon-to-be and relatively new parents, it's best to help them out with presents that lend a helping hand. With your own family, key in on their personalities as you would your friends. As for your in-laws, we've offered some helpful tips for navigating those choppy waters. But most importantly, remember that unless they're truly clueless, parents of all walks of life are seasoned veterans at politely loving anything you decide to gift them.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Your Parents
Animalist Customized Dog Art Portrait
If they seem to show Fido more love than they ever showed you, well, just embrace it and be thankful that it might distract them from asking about potential grandkids anytime soon. We're guessing they will be quite taken with Animalist's custom pet portraits crafted by the company's Swedish artist founders in Scandinavian styles — design choices include minimalist line prints, colorful form silhouettes, and abstract modern art posters.
Animalist Customized Poster Art for your Dog, $, available at Animalist
Joanna Buchanan Limited-Edition Zodiac Hanging Ornament
You know their signs, you know they love collecting new holiday ornaments, and you know they're going to love these jeweled Zodiac stunners from Joanna Buchanan. Crafted from zinc, glass, and velvet ribbon, each sparkling ornament comes packaged inside a delightfully giftable keepsake box.
Joanna Buchanan Limited-Edition Zodiac Hanging Ornament, $, available at Joanna Buchanan
In Good Taste California Wine Mixer Tasting Kit
Show dear old mom and dad just how much you love them with a winter wine tasting featuring California's best vintage hits. Just don't blame us if they end up sleeping off Christmas dinner after a week and a half with this gift.
In Good Taste California Wine Mixer, $, available at In Good Taste
Lettuce Grow The Farmstand
If your parents are big into gardening — and you've got $$$ to spend — invest in this next-level outdoor garden stand complete with seedlings for growing over 200+ fruits, veggies, and herbs. The futuristic-looking hydroponic system is self-watering and self-fertilizing — and, as the site describes it, is like "having a 40 square foot farm in your backyard. But, without the big yard, hours of labor, or PhD in horticulture."
Lettuce Grow The Farmstand, $, available at Lettuce Grow
Click & Grow 3 Smart Self-Watering Garden
Or, if you're looking for something a little more budget-friendly and compact, then we suggest a best-selling smart garden from Click & Grow. This under-$200 hydroponic gift does all the same self-watering as its pricier predecessor but in a compact, countertop-friendly style.
Click and Grow Smart Garden 3 Self Watering Indoor Garden, $, available at Nordstrom
Crosley Musician Entertainment Center
Allow them to step back in time with this retro-meet-modern-day turntable. Its classic analog style is matched with premium sound capabilities; featuring everything from a 3-speed record player to CD player, cassette deck, AM/FM radio, and Bluetooth-enabled wireless connection.
Crosley Musician Entertainment Center, $, available at Urban Outfitters
TCL 40-Inch Smart LED Roku TV
When it comes to empty-nesting 'rents, you can't go wrong with a TV upgrade to take their Wheel Of Fortune & Jeopardy power hour to another level.
TCL 40-inch 1080p Smart LED Roku TV, $, available at Amazon
Anthropologie Scrabble Boardgame
It's a fact, parents love Scrabble. Treat yours to a stylish new set they'll love to leave out on the table in between competitive rounds.
Anthropologie Scrabble for Anthropologie Game, $, available at Anthropologie
In-Laws
Brightland The Luminous Capsule
When in doubt, a fancy olive oil and vinegar set is always a good crowd-pleaser gift.
Brightland The Luminous Capsule, $, available at Brightland
Mikuni Wild Harvest Haku Japanese Shoyu
Another when-in-doubt-gift idea? Fancy soy sauce. This Japanese-style "Shoyu" is known for its sweet and delicate flavor profile that gives a hint of umami to whatever it's paired with.
Mikuni Wild Harvest Haku Japanese Shoyu, $, available at Food52
Artifact Uprising Wood Calendar
Gift them a customizable desktop calendar filled with their favorite family photos from the past few years.
Artifact Uprising Wood Calendar, $, available at Artifact Uprising
Monopoly: Schitt's Creek Board Game
A classic family game with a thematic pop-culture twist they'll likely be able to reference (and enjoy).
Monopoly Monopoly: Schitt’s Creek Board Game, $, available at Urban Outfitters
Etsy Custom Neighborhood Map Print
NativeMaps is a top-rated Etsy shop based in Nashville, Tennessee that will handmake a custom print of your giftee's neighborhood streets for them to proudly display on the wall.
NativeMaps Custom Neighborhood Map Print, $, available at Etsy
Beautiful By Drew Barrymore One-Touch Electric Kettle
This best-selling, sage-green electric kettle will look just lovely boiling seven cups of water in under seven minutes on your in-law's countertop. The Beautiful by Drew Barrymore creation features programmable settings and a sleek touch-activated display.
Beautiful by Drew Barrymore 1.7L One-Touch Electric Kettle, Sage Green, $, available at Walmart
Your New-ish Significant Other's Parents
Levain Bakery Cookies
When making a first impression, let the good cookies do all the hard work. Unless they have dietary restrictions, these iconic NYC-bakery jumbo morsels will wow them for years to come.
Levain Bakery Signature Cookie Assortment (Four-Pack), $, available at Levain Bakery
The Sill Hoya Heart Succulent
Flowers can often feel expected. Surprise them with an alternative flora gift instead in the form of a pretty (and low-maintenance) heart-shaped hoya succulent.
The Sill Hoya Heart Plant, $, available at The Sill
LAFCO Chamomile Lavender Hand Soap
A super-safe (and not too pricey) gift for parents you don't know all too well is the nice hand soap they can put in their guest bathroom. And, LAFCO's best-selling chamomile-lavender scented bottle is sure to appeal to their senses.
Lafco Liquid Soap, Chamomile Lavender, 12 Fl Oz, $, available at Amazon
Grandparents
Etsy Personalized Love Letter Blanket
You'd be hard-pressed to find a sweeter Grandparent's gift than this personalized love-letter blanket from the lovely Etsy shop, FrankiePrintCo.
FrankiePrintCo Personalized Love Letter Blanket, $, available at Etsy
Galison Birds Of The World Puzzle
What do Grandparents love more than puzzles? Birding. This lovely under-$20 jigsaw from Galison is a gift that gives them both.
Galison Birds of The World Puzzle, 1,000 Pieces, 27” x 20'', $, available at Amazon
Aaron Reynolds Effin' Birds Book - A Field Guide to Identification
If your G-Parents are into birds and have a sense of humor, then we'd suggest taking the birding gifts a step further with this A+ identification field guide to "more than 200 of the rudest birds on earth."
Penguin Random House Effin' Birds Book - A Field Guide to Identification, $, available at Always Fits
Amazon New Kindle Paperwhite
If they love to read but their eyes are not what they used to be, then treat them to Amazon's new Kindle Paperwhite. The improved e-reader is even more lightweight than its predecessor with an enhanced paper-like display that we'd argue looks better (aka crisper and clearer) than the pages of a real book.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (8 GB) - Without Ads, $, available at Amazon
Garret Wade Portable Bench & Kneeler
Not only is this portable gift one that your Grands can use to comfortably sit or kneel while doing chores or hobbies around the house, but it's also equipped with a storage bag on either end to securely hold their shears, gloves, or any other tools they may be using while they work.
Garret Wade Portable Bench & Kneeler, $, available at Garret Wade
Instant Pot Pro 10-In-1 Pressure Cooker 6-Quart
Treat them to an upgrade from that antique crockpot they've been using since before you were born. Instant Pot's crowd-favorite pressure cooker is just as easy to "set it and forget" it but will get the job done a whole lot better.
Instant Pot 10-in-1 Pressure Cooker, 6 Quart, $, available at Amazon
Parents With Kids
Crockd Pottery Kit
A giftable bundle of art therapy that both parents and kids can enjoy together. Crockd's pottery kit comes thoughtfully packed with eco-friendly and locally-sourced clay, handmade wooden tools, conversation starter cards, and an instruction booklet with step-by-step designs.
crockd Crockd Pottery Kit, $, available at Crockd
Uncommon Goods Erupting Dinasaur Bath Volcano
Speaking of dinos: Ditch the rubber ducky and help them make bathtime lots of fun with this epic erupting dinosaur bath volcano — that does exactly what you imagine it would do. After placing the fizzy puck inside the base of the volcano, parents can float it in the bath to activate the "lava" flor. After each volcanic eruption, the bathtime kiddos can open up the mountain to discover a little dino figurine hiding inside.
Uncommon Goods Erupting Dinosaur Bath Volcano, $, available at Mary Westerhaus
Dearfoams Carson Matching Family Slippers
If matching Christmas pajamas is already a standing tradition for the family, then add to their fun with Dearfoams customizable matching slippers for mama bears, papa bears, and lil's bears.
Dearfoams Carson Mama Bear Slide, $, available at Dearfoams
Etsy Personalized Animal & Dinosaur Family Aprons
For the fam who's more into arts and crafts or messy kitchen activities than lounging on the couch: a customized set of matching aprons stamped with their favorite animals and/or dinosaurs.
littlechook Personalized Animal & Dinosaur Family Aprons, $, available at Etsy
Bookroo Monthly Book Subscription Box
Gift them a monthly subscription to a box of two-to-three new books (with curated options for ages 0-12) that will get the kiddos excited to open, discover, and read together as a fam.
Bookroo 3-Month Book Subscription Gift Box, $, available at Bookroo
Meddy Teddy Original Yoga Bear
Gift this plush-yet-bendable handmade bear to any yoga-practicing friends with kiddos as an adorable way to encourage them to join in on the practice.
Meddy Teddy Yoga Bear, $, available at Meddy Teddy
EcoBirdy Container Kiwi
This one's pricey but still a buzzy best-seller among the cool-parent set—meaning if you're in the market and have the quiche to spend, then this kids' storage container shaped like New Zealand's endangered bird is the IT gift. Crafted from 100%-ecothylene materials with a magnetic beak that pops off to reveal a hollow interior, "feeding the kiwi" makes for cute-kiddo encouragement to put those doggone toys away.
EcoBirdy Container Kiwi - Paua, $, available at Goodee
Expecting Parents
The Honest Company Mini Clean-Conscious Diaper Cake
An expecting parent will never have enough diapers on hand. This cute gift of 35 diapers looks like a layered cake but is way more useful than a fork full of frosting. The diapers come in adorable giraffe prints (pictured), pandas, blossoms, and blue dots, and dashes.
The Honest Company Mini Clean Conscious Diaper Cake, Multi-Colored Giraffes, $, available at The Honest Company
Brooklinen Brooklittles Baby Bundle
If they love Brooklinen's best-selling bedding, then chances are they (and their new baby) will also love its best-selling Brooklittles bundle. Each sweetly printed set contains a 100%-cotton swaddle set, two crib sheets, and a super-snuggly quilt.
Brooklinen Baby Bundle, $, available at Brooklinen
Owlet Cam Smart HD Video Baby Monitor
Upgrade their baby-cam game with Owlet's HD 1080p video system that offers the next-level capabilities of night vision, sound and motion notifications, and two-way audio streamed directly and securely to their smartphones.
Owlet Smart HD Video Baby Monitor, $, available at Owlet
WeeSprout Modern 3-In-1 White Wooden Baby High Chair
As far as aesthetically pleasing high chairs go, WeeSprout's minimalist and lightweight iteration takes the cake. Its three-in-one design serves as a high chair, booster seat, and kid-friendly chair with adjustable legs that grow with tots from babyhood to toddlerhood.
Weesprout Modern 3-in-1 White Wooden Baby High Chair, $, available at Weesprout
Manhattan Toy Musical Lili Llama
In addition to taking up precious space, baby toys can also take a toll on expecting parents' home-design vibes. This little wooden llama named Lili isn't just nice to look at, it also won the "2019 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award" — which, we're guessing, means it's a darn good toy. Lili provides ample auditory to visual stimulation along with hand-eye coordination exercise with all the bells and whistles from xylophones to clacking saddle-drum blankets and a removable tail that doubles as a maraca.
Manhattan Toy Musical Lili Llama, $, available at Maisonette
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