Since September is Baby Safety Month, it makes sense to keep a baby’s safety in mind when presenting new parents with gifts. Of course, it’s always a good time to think about keeping baby safe and healthy.

One of my favorite gifts to include with any new baby gift bag is a set of protective outlet covers. Not only are these very inexpensive, but they’re also something that can be used for many years. I know lots of families go through them. Sometimes when you take one out to vacuum and misplace it, you just need a few spares on hand. And since my middle sister put a utensil in a socket as a child and received a very scary charge, I know how important it is to keep those things covered up until kids are old enough to know better. Drawer latches can come in handy, too.

Another great new baby gift is a car seat. They can be expensive, especially if you want to get one with full safety features or that graduates into larger sizes as the child grows. For this reason, a car seat is a great gift to go in on with other friends or family to gift to the new family. It’s always a good idea to ask the parents about which type they prefer—if they are not registered—to make sure you don’t get a gift that requires an exchange, something that a new family doesn’t need to worry about! Yes, it might detract from the fun element of surprise, but in the long run it’s the better way to go.

If you know the parents could use one, a baby gate is another great safety device when used properly. Don’t go for the cheapest gate that has to be jumped over or taken down at every crossing, however; this is very annoying, not to mention more dangerous in the long run for other children, animals, and even adults who don’t think before trying to leap it in a single bound! An installation-requiring gate might sound like a lot of work, but they are actually very simple to install (you could even include your own installation as part of the gift!) and make accessing the gate much more smooth for parents with a single open and close, swinging gate and latch. The only drawback is that kids seem to figure this one out easier than the other kinds!