The city's first sippy cup makes the baby's mother happy: "Receiving a thoughtfully prepared gift is special"

Two-month-old baby Hassinen's first hat is cheerfully red and already a bit small.

Baby Hassinen is about to turn two months old and is growing fast. Mother Sanni Nykänen plans to save the beanie as a memory.

A beanie with an R symbol is a gift from the city of Riihimäki to a newborn. Greeting the new residents of Riihmäki with a beanie started at the beginning of this year. Along with the headdress, the family receives a letter from the mayor.

- It's nice that families with children are taken into account in this way. I think receiving a pre-thought-out gift is special, it means something different than money. The money can be spent on anything, the beanie leaves a tangible memory, says Nykänen.

A beanie after a bath

The baby boy of the Nykänen family living in the center of Riihimäki was born in mid-January. Sanni Nykänen, who is now on maternity leave, works as a nurse at Riihikodi, her husband Mikko Hassinen works as a business advisor at LähiTapiola. The family also includes a 1,5-year-old older brother, Emil.

The family got the first tip right away at the first counseling visit. The gift was nice.

- The beanie fit very well on a small head, and it came in handy immediately. At the maternity hospital, they said that the baby should be put on a beanie after the bath. The beanie became an after-bath beanie, Nykänen laughs.

It is also important to Nykäne that the beanies donated by the city are manufactured by a local company. The beanie is the handiwork of Little Maya from Riihimäkä.

- It's a nice idea that the gift supports both families with babies and local entrepreneurship. Nowadays, I also think quite a lot about ethics. It feels good to know that the beanie is made in your own town. Little Maya was already familiar to us. The materials and the finish of the work are always of high quality.

Babies are remembered in many ways

Jarkko Lahtinen, development manager of the municipal association, says that newborns are remembered in many ways. Some municipalities give newborns a gift, some so-called baby money.

- Baby bags, wool socks, for example, are given as gifts, some municipalities also pay the hospital fee for the three days of childbirth, he says.

In a study published in 2012 by the Association of Municipalities, a quarter of municipalities remembered newborns with a gift. Gifts were especially popular in small municipalities.

Some municipalities also pay baby money for new babies born in the municipality. In the municipal association, baby money matters were last surveyed in 2019.

- At that time, 27 municipalities in mainland Finland with less than 40 inhabitants paid baby money. The amount varied from a lump sum of 000 euros to 150 euros paid over ten years, Lahtinen says.

However, there is no more detailed information on what kind of effects the baby money or gift has on the number of families with children or on moving to the municipality.

It is good to have a family with children in Riihimäki

Sanni Nykänen wants to enjoy the baby time to the fullest.

- Time goes fast. It's exciting to watch how the little ones develop and grow. I like to be at home. With my first child, I had to go to work when the baby was a little over half a year old. Now is the opportunity to enjoy time with the children in peace.

Riihimäki gives Nykä a good framework for baby family activities. The services are close by, and the children have fun things to do.

- It's great when you look at what's available for children. We also have a club to go to every day, and good playgrounds and jogging paths right next door.

Leena-Kaisa Laakso