The moment you're asked to be godparent to a brand new human being, your first thought will be of how you can guide this precious angel both spiritually and morally through the rich tapestry of life. Oh no wait, it's OH MY GOD WHAT PRESENT AM I GOING TO GET IT??

White-hot panic descends when you picture the other godparents waving their platinum card round Tiffany's engraving everything in sight including the manager. This kid wasn't born with a silver spoon in its mouth, but some generous godparent is going to shove one in there. The sneaky weasel.

One of my son's godparents is now godparent to NINE kids. NINE. Always the godfather never the god. So when I was asked to be a godparent I texted him to ask for present advice. He didn't reply in time though because he's the kind of person who is so wildly popular he has NINE godchildren. It's not that he's rich, it's that he's thoughtful. For our son he got an early edition of Alice in Wonderland, it's beautiful, unique, it's also a nod to the church where my husband and I got married, under a plaque commemorating Lewis Carroll. I mean for goodness sake!

So after sweat, panic, and a few missteps (apologies to the kid who got a tooth box. Yes a tooth box. That's pretty weird) I've hit on the formula of giving the gift that keeps on giving.

Girls are much easier, because, you know, jewellery. I gave my goddaughter a plain link silver bracelet with her name engraved on the tag, and every year on her birthday I add a new charm that says something about her interests and personality that year. There are 18 links so on her 18th birthday she will have a full charm bracelet. You're WELCOME

A silver moneybox is a nice idea, then on their birthdays you can pop some pocket money in it. When their 18th rolls around this will have added up to a cracking night out. This only works if you can hide the money box though, because children aren't notoriously diligent savers. Oh and you won't get thanked for 18 years. But we're not in it for the praise, right? RIGHT?

A personalised 'This book belongs to' stamp will be used for years, Bloomfield & Rolfe make some stunners. Find the right, not-too-babyish design and it will be used right up to mid way through primary school when it will be deemed too embarrassing for words. Or books will have been replaced by microchips inserted in the brain and you can't stamp a brain.

Oh, another gift that keeps on giving is the gift of reading (until books become microchips, see above) Come on you didn't really expect this NOT to include Bookabees did you?? But seriously, a present that does't just get unwrapped once, but once EVERY MONTH is a pretty awesome present. And you can set it up so that the books are bespoke to your god-bundle's age and interests then just press 'go' and be thanked EVERY MONTH. Who was I kidding, we're totes in it for the praise.