What the hell do I buy for a one-year old?

I'm liking that idea or the savings bond.

 

Make sure the parents are a.) baseball fans and b.) not certfiably insane. Two friends of ours tried taking their son to his first game a few months after he was born. In their defense, they drove to New Haven in rush hour traffic to get there. But then again, they should have fucking known better than to drive to New Haven in rush hour traffic.

Anyway, they were there for about three outs when a foul ball hit a kid a few rows over. Nutty mother got up and marched right out, kid in tow. Daddy eventually followed.

When I was looking for gifts last summer to spoil my nephew, I told my sister I'd buy them tickets to one of
Connecticut's 273 minor league teams. She said he wouldn't pay any attention and she'd rather go see the local summer wooden bat league team for free. I couldn't argue with that.

 

I've gotten my godson savings bonds for his first two birthdays and Christmases. I like to think that in 20 years, when the bonds mature, he'll appreciate the cash then more than a toy now.

 

Some kind of children's DVD.

 

I know I appreciated the cash that was used 20 years later to help fund college.

 

How much are we talking?

Screw the bonds. If you have a few hundred bucks, get information from the parents, open an Education IRA and invest it in a solid mutual fund -- Vanguard 500, or something like that with a LONNNG history of good performance.

 

Something which can be discarded in about 2 weeks, unless it is a stuffed animal. We're talking very low attachment levels here.

 

No one ever bought me a bond. And if they did, my parents cashed it out when they went bankrupt the first time.

 

Savings bond isn't a bad idea.

A relative of mine got me a small rubber maid container (or whatever the 1974 equivalent was) and put in it a copy of the newspaper the day I was born, time magazine from that week and a silver dollar from 1974. I never opened it until I was like 15, but it was cool to read the paper and the magazine and I have the silver dollar on display.

Since the kid won't actually enjoy/remember anything you get them at this stage, it might be something cool for them to have. A year-old newspaper is likely still attainable as is the silver dollar. Maybe a copy of a CD with the Grammy Winners or a Now that's What I call Music Disc from the from the first year of his life would be cool to include too. Throw an unopened pack of baseball cards in.

I too have given ass paste as a gift.

 

Most 1-year-olds (in middle class families) have too many clothes and toys.
Get something practical _ diapers, baby wipes, @ss paste, whatever.
Savings bonds are good.

 

forget the 1-year-old. what the parents will appreciate most is a pampers gift certificate. do that. they'll be very, very grateful. 8)


take it from the father of 3 who is still in debt over his pampers costs -- nine years after his youngest was done with diapers!!

the saving bonds thing is lovely, but let's say it's a 200 dollar bond. how does that help the college fund, exactly? the kid will probably just blow it on weed or alcohol.

 

I think the trip to the zoo is a hell of an idea...those various "firsts" are all good...after all, it's only the adults who really give a shit about 1-year birthdays, gifts, who's invited, etc. A bunch of social positioning shit. Hell, the kid just wants a piece of cake, not knowing that it is his/her birthday. And a periodic change of diaper.

On that thought: a savings bond isn't a bad deal either. Not like the kid is going to turn and start bawling, like they do at 7, when they don't get any good stuff because the parents went to Dollar General to buy some stupid shit in the first place.