by Erin White
Certainly the birth of child is an occasion to commemorate.
Historically,men have done so by giving their wives birthing presents, or “push presents,” as a way to say congratulations and thank you.
According to a December New York Times story on the trend, a recent poll of 30,000 people by Babycenter.com found that 38 percent of new mothers received a gift from the new dad, and 55 percent of moms-to-be wanted one. (And 40 percent said baby was reward enough.)
The practice, rooted in British and Indian traditions,isn’t new to the Fort Worth area, says Sharon Vinson of Troy Vinson Jewelers in Fort Worth.
“People have been doing that here for, oh gosh, 20 years or more,” she says. But both Vinson and Jack Miller of Haltom’s Jewelers say they’ve seen more men in the past few years buying presents for their mother-to-be wives.
Generally, the proud papas they’ve seen gravitate toward diamonds — and not necessarily small ones — in honor of the wee package.
Given that Americans are having more babies in recent years — in 2006, the number of births was the highest it had been since 1961, the end of the baby boom, according to an Associated Press review of birth numbers that came out this week — one can only expect the trend to continue to grow.
But for the more practical parents-to-be, jewelry may not be the best way to go.
Thinking of buying a “push present” for a mom-to-be? Here are five alternatives to jewelry that are both practical and meaningful.
[2] Employ a chef. An exhausted new mother might not feel like whipping up a meal. (Neither may an exhausted father.) And yet she, and you, will want to eat at home near the baby.The solution: Hire a personal chef.
How to find one: Go to www.hireachef.com to find one in your ZIP code.
What they’ll do:A personal chef will pick up the supplies, go into your home, make dinner and then pack it away until you’re ready to use it. You can leave the menu up to the chef, and it can easily be tailored to special dietary needs. You can engage the service weekly or as one-time deal to fill the freezer.
The details: Prices vary, depending on how often you hire the chef, the number of people the chef is cooking for and your dietary needs. Susan J. Rutter, a personal chef based in Arlington, says she charges $40 an hour but doesn’t charge for shopping or drive time. She can cook about a week of dinners for a family in about five hours, and she recommends having the chef cook in large quantities, even if you’re single, because cooking for one and cooking for four takes roughly the same time. Deb Cantrell, a chef based in Fort Worth, says she charges about $345 for enough food to feed a single person for a month.
Read entire story at: Fort Worth Star Telegram
