How to involve friends and family in welcoming a newborn

A new baby brings joy not only to the new parents, but also to grandparents, aunts and uncles, neighbors, friends… in other words, an entire community. Here's how you can turn all that love into meaningful contributions that last a lifetime.

TL;DR:

• Invite loved ones to contribute recommendations, letters, and recipes instead of (or alongside) traditional gifts.
• It takes a village: involve the people around you in this season, in many different ways.
• Use digital tools like Tiny Legacy to gather contributions from everyone, everywhere, and bring them together beautifully.

Meaningful involvement

Invite your community to be part of your child's life in ways that truly last. Instead of a traditional baby shower, for example, you could ask guests to bring a children's book with a personal note written inside. You'll be building a small, deeply personal library for your baby before they're even born. You might also ask grandparents and close friends to record lullabies in their own voices; recordings that only grow more precious over time. And by creating a shared photo album where family members add their favorite moments with your child, you create a living collection that continues to grow year after year.

Beyond traditional gifts

Go beyond the classic baby gift and invite loved ones to share their favorite books, films, songs, and experiences through Tiny Legacy. Together, these personal recommendations become a treasure your child can explore for years to come. You can also ask friends and family to write letters for the future, to be opened on milestone birthdays like 16, 18, or 21. Their words, perspectives, and hopes form a loving time capsule. Family recipes take on even deeper meaning when they're collected along with the stories behind them... think of grandma's cookie recipe, suddenly so much richer when you know she's been baking it every Christmas for the past 50 years!

Creating roles

Giving loved ones a role makes involvement feel natural and personal. Family members can become reading buddies or "book friends" who commit to sharing certain stories or reading together regularly. Others might become adventure buddies, with experiences tied to specific people: Aunt Sarah as the go-to museum person, Grandpa as the family fishing expert.

Digital connection

Even at a distance, closeness is possible. Collect video messages from faraway family members where they share their wishes, family stories, or simply a warm hello. Create shared playlists where everyone adds songs that matter to them, letting music become a thread that connects generations. And by sharing a Tiny Legacy link, you invite everyone to add recommendations for your child, slowly building a collaborative collection of love and memories.

The village in action

"It takes a village" isn't just a saying; it's genuinely good advice. When you intentionally involve the people around you in welcoming your new baby, you build a support system that benefits everyone. Your child grows up knowing they are deeply loved, family and friends feel connected and valued, and you have a village to lean on as you navigate new parenthood (and trust us, there are moments when that support is not just helpful, but essential).

Start building those bridges now. Every shared recommendation, every written letter, every memory… With Tiny Legacy, you can gather all of these precious contributions in one place, creating a book your child will treasure and return to long after the baby clothes have been packed away. It's a way to involve family and friends in a gift that truly lasts.