Shiny and sound or practical and invisible - what gifts to give to a child?
People, especially children, love to receive gifts. Babies and teens expect more tangible things, but adults are already able to appreciate goodwill.
Whether the gift is to be taken in the hand, valued in money, or felt in the imagination and energy invested, the gift is first and foremost an emotion that we give to others while enjoying the joy of giving ourselves.
Through material and emotional generosity, we express our appreciation to the other person. However, adults often tend to be too enthusiastic about various unnecessary gifts for children, or, on the contrary, based on their experience, to provide children with gifts that have no value in their eyes. How to find the best approach to choosing gifts for children?
The fine line between pleasure and overwork
We probably feel the greatest joy of giving when we give gifts to children. Children are the most precious to us. They are also the most emotional and truly able to enjoy what they have received. However, nowadays, when almost everything a child imagines is immediately available and obtainable, it is very easy to fall into the trap of overwork. If adults born in the far nineties remember how much they enjoyed the little things they received on their birthdays or Christmas, then today's children also get a lot on a daily basis. Adults do not feel the limit when giftedness must end. When the holiday arrives, there are often no more ideas to surprise the child, because he already has everything.
There are families who have the habit of bringing something as a small gift when they come from the store. In time, the child gets used to the fact that adults come to him with presents and is already researching the bags that have been brought to him this time. Accustoming a child to the fact that he or she deserves some special pleasure every day also means that gifts become commonplace and no longer bring joy to the holidays. On the other hand, if a snack is a reward for something that has been done or achieved, then it already has a sense of pleasure.
What to give when everything is already there?
When choosing a gift, the giver should consider whether what is pleasing is really just the purchased items or the values and attitude towards the gifted person. The psychotherapist cites an example from her bestowal experience. The granddaughter has been bought a beautiful dress, but she is also given a "story"-the next gift will be tickets to a children's opera, a joint dress-up and a visit to a café after the show-which gives the gift emotional added value. An adventure that will be remembered every time a girl puts on a dress. Thus, it is not only a tangible and practical gift that is very important for a child, but also a joy for the event, being with the grandparents, and a feeling of celebration for a long time.
"I want Barbie and just Barbie."
Children tend to have periods of development when they want to receive only one type of toy as a gift, such as only Lego or a fashionable doll - Barbie, Bratz, etc. etc. If you already have a pile of barbies at home, will another doll of the same value really be appreciated? Maybe Barbie needs something extra - furniture or a dress, or a doll's house? In the period of cars, you can create a certain car collection and knowledge of expansion, also creating a cognitive process about the history of the car. The fact that a child is on the topic is not a bad thing, and it is an opportunity to look for someone deeper, not just to supplement the subject in the child's room.
A practical gift for parental support
When giving a gift to the youngest members of the family, grandparents should respect the parents' opinion of what the child really needs. Although the most pleasant task of grandparents is to pamper and delight their grandchildren, the parents will know better what the child's current needs and interests are. Here, too, there is a conversation with parents about how practical a gift for a baby, student, or young person should be. The psychotherapist believes that the gift must first bring joy! It is unlikely that a three-year-old child will be able to truly rejoice and appreciate the company's shares or open savings for the child's future, as the benefits will only be appreciated much later. At the moment, the child does not even understand what it is about, but it will be the support provided by the grandparents to their children, who are the new parents. The collection serves as both a support system and an airbag for the family.
Peculiarities of gifting for each age
At different ages, children expect slightly different emotions from the process of receiving gifts. Both young and old love to unwrap gifts. If the gift is wrapped beautifully and cleverly, unpacking it can be an even more exciting event than the gift itself, especially if the choice hits the top ten.
It's a whole adventure, and the most important thing in the gifting process is the feeling that can be gained in this way! Very young children will enjoy even the small toys they will receive from their parents on the holiday.
Around the age of 7–10, the interests of the child become clearer, so the gift can be chosen more purposefully. At this age, children greatly appreciate the time together that parents give as a gift. For example, if dad organizes and spends the whole day with his daughter-goes to a cafe, rents a scooter, travels to Riga, and the two of them go to the store together, where the girl can choose a gift herself. Being with Dad is more emotional than receiving the gift itself.
When it comes to giving teenagers, no matter how impersonal the gift of money may seem, it is the most appropriate gift for young people who need to learn to make choices and who want to be independent. Giving money in this case allows you to exercise independence and teaches you how to handle money. Money will no longer be a surprise, but it will allow you to take responsibility and make choices. What should not be done is to try to give someone a gift "morally", such as a teenager who does not like to read books, to give them exactly that. One should not give what one would like teenagers to do as they see fit.