So my sister just had her first baby, and I (24M) wanted to do something special. She mentioned her husband was giving her a “push present,” and I, having never heard this term, Googled it.
I thought it was like a quirky gag gift for giving birth. You know, like something to “push” through the pain, some joke gift to make her laugh and lighten the mood.
So… I got her a glittery purple stress ball. The packaging said “SQUISH ME WHEN LIFE HURTS,” which I thought was hilarious.
I show up at the hospital, give her the little gift bag with a grin. She opens it. Silence. Her husband just stares at me.
Then my mom goes, “That’s what you got her? For all that work?!”
Turns out a “push present” is supposed to be something sentimental or valuable, like a necklace, ring, or something meaningful. Not a $3 rubber orb.
She laughed eventually, but now everyone in the family refers to me as “Stress Ball Santa.” Her real push present came later, a diamond pendant.
TL;DR: Thought a “push present” was a joke gift. Gave my sister a stress ball after childbirth. Now I’m the clown of the family.
Comments
I’m not sure how googling it didn’t give you the correct answer, but if it’s any consolation, as a woman who’s given birth four times, I find the concept of demanding a “push present” tacky and entitled; and at any rate, it’s meant to be from the baby’s father, not anyone else. Is childbirth another gift grab now? The baby shower wasn’t enough?
You didn’t FU, push presents are ridiculous, expecting a serious one from your sibling even more so.
In the UK, baby showers were not a thing in the early 80s until they were seen on American shows, so now they are a thing. My mum was invited to a baby shower, didn’t know what one was, took a baby bath as a joke. People laughed at my mum and we fell out with this friend for a bit. After having the baby, they realised the only practical gift was the bath and all the pedicure and manicure stuff was pretty useless when you have a screaming baby.
Push presents are ridiculous. How many other ways can we make it so people need to give me stuff? I spent like $90 on mine and since it wasn’t exactly what she wanted. All of it’s gone within a year barely used.😭
Yeh push presents are given by the father. No one else. I hope this doesn’t become a thing. I love mine it’s a ring with my daughter’s birth stone. I expected no other gifts after giving birth.
No Wonder though. I’ve given birth three times and all I ever got out of it was a kid. I’ve never herd the term before.
Please don’t normalise expecting diamonds or other insanely expensive shit as presents. Not everyone har money coming out of their ears..
Is this a new concept? I’m 51 with 3 kids over 18, I’ve never heard of this.
Technically an optimal present for a sibling to bestow on their sister after birthing a human. The partner gets the push present, your mom hopefully was able to get a giggle out of it eventually.
I’ve never heard of anyone who wasn’t the father giving a “push present”.
And traditionally at least in Ireland, the present was an eternity ring after the first baby. That has changed as women decided they would like something other than the ring.
A “push present” is a euphemism for “buy me something expensive”? Weird
I have never heard of a “push present” before, and it sounds tacky AF, and definitely something only the father should even be thinking about.
They FU, not you!
A push present is something the husband/partner gives. Not a brother. You got her a fun little gift. They’re being ridiculous getting upset with you over this.
The fuck up is a sister expecting an expensive “push present” from her brother. The father of the children buys a push present. You buy a gift for the baby!!! People these days are so gift grabby.
Why on earth would someone expect this from a sibling? I find the idea of demanding push presents ridiculous to begin with, but why would a sibling be expected to give one? A gift from the spouse is more than sufficient. I would never have had the gall to demand something like a diamond pendant from my sibling.
Uh… I thought the push present came from the other parent not from family/friends. I’ve never given anyone a push present. Not my kid, not my partner.
Also, it’s simply one more stupid excuse to get gifts.
WTF is a push present?? I’ve never given birth but I would hope I would not be so miserable as to not see the funny side to a stress ball. From all the jokes about women squeezing hands until it hurts, imagine it’s super useful too!
IMO a push present is stupid. Expecting a present because the choice you make to have a child requires hard work? Honestly it gives the same energy as my mother demanding a present on my birthday because “I did all the work”
Expecting a push present from a sibling is kinda gross too…it began as a token of appreciation to the mother for “giving them an heir” which is creepy coming from a sibling
You are a clown for giving your sister a diamond pendant for having a child. Your family members are clowns for asking for “push presents”. I’m gonna guess that your family judges people based on the value of party favors people give out to guests at their kid’s birthday parties.