Why Do Children Like to Receive Gifts for Holidays?
When children start chanting that the most important thing at Christmas is gifts, we start to think - aren't we pampering children with gifts too much? And can't children be harmed by the other extreme of parents - the introduction of a gift-free holiday? What are gifts, why do children love them and should parents avoid giving them away.
What is most important to a child?
Whether or not a child needs to give presents at Christmas is a personal choice for each family. There are no right or wrong answers to this question. In our society, giving and receiving gifts on Christmas Eve has become a tradition in many families. Giving can be a very beautiful and nice tradition because Christmas is a celebration of love for many, and it does not preclude giving gifts. A gift is also a symbol of love, especially if it is chosen or prepared with love, considering what the recipient might like best.
However, the child's most important thing must be the love that he or she receives directly from his or her parents. It is very important not only to love your children, but also to show your love. To love and say in words how much we love them. Emotional warmth, physical presence, love, hugs, caresses. Dedicate time to and show respect to your children. For children, a positive relationship with parents that creates a sense of security is most important.
Worth to know
The gift is a symbol of love. The most desirable situation is when the child receives the real love, positive attitude and emotional warmth of the parents on a daily basis and the gift serves as an additional symbol of this love.
What does it mean for a child to receive a gift?
Someone might say, but adults also like to receive gifts! Yes, because on a symbolic level, it means that someone has thought of us, someone wants to please us, and that makes us feel good. Of course, when receiving a gift, the child is mostly happy about the property itself, about the newly acquired thing that he has wanted so much. Receiving a gift has two sides: one is the property itself, and the other is the giver's intention to show love and please. The child is quite able to perceive the gift, but at the level of the unconscious, he also realizes that he is important to someone. This makes receiving a gift so special.
Do you know what your child wants?
It should be taken into account that a preschool child, when receiving a gift, certainly does not equal the size or treasure of the acquired thing with how much the donor loves him or her; such relationships are not connected by young children. What parents should think about when giving a gift to their child is what would make a little person happy the most. What is it that he or she really wants?
Of course, a child is very happy if the gift he receives matches his expectations. And here, parents have a double task: to be sensitive with their efforts or questions in order to better understand what the child wants. At the same time, it is necessary to think about whether this desired gift is available, whether it corresponds to the parents' financial means, whether it is appropriate for the child's age, and whether it poses any health risks.
It is also worth thinking about the attitude of parents when giving a gift; it is nice that love is not only in everyday life, but is connected with the gift and the gifting process. Through it, the child can feel that it is a gift given with love and a desire to please him, not to soothe the parent's guilt.
Remember!
The greatest joy for children is to receive the gift they have truly wanted. Watch, listen, and talk to the child to find out what would make him happy from the heart! Also think about whether the intended gift is appropriate for the child's age and whether it does not pose any health risks.
A gift as compensation for love
There are situations when parents do not express enough emotional warmth and physical love on a daily basis, either for busy or other reasons. As a result, parents use gifts, consciously or unconsciously, as substitutes for attention and love, as well as to reduce their guilt. In essence, the gift cannot compensate for the absence of parents.At some superficial level, it may help to partially replace the parents' lack of attention because the child feels good and happy at that moment, but in reality, it is not a lasting feeling that would really fulfill the little person's inner desire and need for love. Sometimes parents who are very busy feel guilty about it and know that they should spend more time with their children.
Is the gift too much?
Seeing how much the holiday is being commercialized today, the question arises: are we too obsessed with the cult of wealth? Do children have a little appreciation for everything they have? Christmas has become too commercialized and is often surrounded by too much materialism. Both parents and children feel the pressure of society: gifts have to be bought, and of a certain kind. However, adults should keep in mind that when choosing gifts, it should be done with common sense and not fulfill all the wishes expressed by the child. If there is a sincere relationship in the family on a daily basis, it is natural that the parents want to please the children with gifts.
If parents decide to do without gifts,
There are also parents who decide to celebrate without gifts. In this situation, the attitude of the parents as to why such a decision was made is very important and needs to be explained to the children. Not to hurt or punish someone, but to emphasize that even without buying gifts, the holiday can be enjoyable. If a child has received Christmas presents from an early age, the tradition should not be abruptly unexplained. If you want to change the situation with the usual gifting, you can initially move on to a smaller gift--something you love, which at the same time symbolizes the parents' love for their offspring.
Do you feel similar?
Usually, when giving a gift to another, the giver also feels uplifted. It can also be taught to a child that giving a gift is pleasant and makes it feel good for both the person giving the gift and the recipient.
Or spending time together can be a gift?
Sometimes, knowing that children already have everything, gifts are given to spend time together and with them in the future. For example, tickets to a concert, water park, break-out room, etc., etc. Such gifts, which promote spending time together as a family and hide the adventure, are valuable and supportive. However, it is important for pre-school children to receive a tangible, immediately usable item at the time of the Christmas tree. A young child does not yet have the perspective to appreciate a gift like a ticket, although it is of great value. The child's vision is more focused on the "here and now." Kindergarten-age children still have a great sense of the world, so "tangible" gifts will be the right choice. Even if it is small and symbolic, he will appreciate it.
Think about it!
Adults often realize that time spent together is more important than any gift. If you decide in your family to have a holiday without tangible gifts, remember that it can be a sad experience for a small child who is used to giving away. It may be worth preparing very small gifts so that the long-awaited holiday moment at the Christmas tree does not disappoint.
If the child does not like the gift
It has been observed that children openly dislike, get angry, and even throw away a gift if they do not like it. It can be quite confusing for parents. To understand why children do this, the situation must be seen in context. Often, children are overstimulated during the holidays, and both the children and their parents are tired. Therefore, the offspring's statement that the gift is worth nothing may be due to fatigue. At such a moment, it is important to calm the little one down, take him to a quieter corner, and make love so that he will not be overwhelmed by the holiday.
However, the disadvantage may also be due to the fact that the adult has not previously delved into what the child wants or what is currently relevant to him. Sometimes children's wishes are associated with big, expensive, even impossible gifts. If it is, while waiting for the holiday, you have to talk about gifts in the family. If a child wants something unreal, such as a horse, parents must tell them that this is not possible and explain why they should not maintain vain illusions in the little dreamer. The task of the parents is to explain why such a gift is not possible, not to promise that the horse will be there, but a toy foal is given instead.
Courtesy of receiving a gift
If a gift for a child does not come from the heart at all and is not related to the reasons described above, parents are advised to focus on forms of courtesy. Parents need to teach the child the rules of etiquette and encourage the little one to start thinking early about how the other person is feeling. Parents need to explain that bad statements about a gift can make someone who has made it feel bad. Research shows that children as young as 4–5 are able to think about what they think and how they feel.
The child should also be taught to say thanks for the gift. Of course, he may not like a property or thing, such as a candle, but the very fact that someone has thought of him or her may have smoked the candle himself or herself is to be welcomed. At the time of gifting, thank you, but if you ask, do not lie that you like the gift. Needless to say, I don't like this thing. Gifts must be accepted with dignity, and it is sometimes worthwhile to separate the item received from the gifting process.
If resources are limited
At an early age, children cannot appreciate how expensive or cheap a gift is. Therefore, it is necessary to think creatively, for example, how to wrap or present a small thing so that it can provide a great surprise and delight.