The Perfect Gift Can’t Be Wrapped
One of the most stressful parts of gift-giving holidays for me has always been shopping. I’m unsure if the reason behind my stress is because I think very practically about spending money or because I don’t like shopping. The act of shopping has always given me anxiety.
Too many things and too many choices seem like a heavy burden for me. It truly kills the joy out of trying to gift someone something special. As I said, it might just be me, but I feel like the push for me to spend money is so prevalent and strong that I’m turned off to gifting.
Can you relate? I’m sure I can’t be the only one to feel this way.
One of my main goals is for my children to not grow up to expect gifts for holidays or special days or to think that those events are all about gifts.
It’s important for me that my children understand that the material things aren’t the main focus of any celebration and when I’ve tried to do a non-gift event, someone in the family always gives them a present because it feels so wrong or weird to them to not give anything to my kids.
Now, I can totally understand how weird it feels because most of us are used to giving something to a child. But we all have this weirdness about it because we are not accustomed to NOT gifting something, especially to kids.
Another thing that people are not used to is that of giving a gift you cannot wrap. Yes. A gift that cannot be wrapped. Can you think of any?
A membership or a day ticket to the zoo would be a great gift for kids and adults.
If you are one of those parents who is concerned about a holiday turning into an event of giving material things, here are some things to keep in mind if you’re attempting to exclude the physical presents this year.
This applies not just for kids, but adults too.
Gift experiences, not things. You might think that this might be hard to do because kids want something to open. Well, think of it this way. As my dear adopted father figure put it, kids will always remember the event and not a specific gift.
And you know what? He is absolutely correct!
I remember the loud music, the dancing, the food, and decorations in the house. That is what I loved. Honestly, my first memory isn’t a toy, clothes, or some other item that was given to me.
The gift of travel is perfect for those who haven’t explored within their own state. Encourage them to travel by gifting them a night stay at a hotel near a place they should visit.
So, if you haven’t purchased physical gifts yet and you want to give more meaningful gifts, here are some tips.
Start slow. For a lot of people, cutting out ALL of the physical gifts cold turkey might be too hard or too much to take in. So, instead of giving many gifts, cut it down by half and include experiences as gifts.
Examples of experiences are:
Tickets to a play they’ve always wanted to see
Movie tickets so they enjoy themselves with a friend
Massage at a spa,
Tickets to a skating rink
To a football game or to a theme park
A gift card to a fancy restaurant they’ve always wanted to go to
One night stay at a hotel in town to enjoy time away from the usual Home responsibilities
1-year subscription to a favorite magazine
Gym membership for three months or twelve
Dance classes for two
Art/painting/drawing course from your community recreation center (those are usually great deals)
Make-up artist session and/or a photoshoot
Admission to a museum (air and space, science museum, art museum, living history museums, archeology museum, etc.)
Professional organizer to help organize a space in their home
Cleaning service for a day
Babysitting for a date night
Subscription to a STEM club (i.e., Groovy Lab In A Box, Genius Box Me, KiwiCo)
What kid wouldn’t love tickets to go do something fun!?! Tickets to the theater, a concert, a meet & greet with a favorite author, or tickets to a winter formal make great gifts.
You can also gift things that they actually need. Examples are:
Clothes for work or a special event (i.e., interview, audition, a ball, a wedding)
Uniforms for work or school
New shoes
College book expenses
Tuition for school or a class
School materials
Tutoring sessions, etc.
Pay part or all of a utility bill for a loved one
Car maintenance gift card (i.e, an oil change, tune-up)
Now that you have a list of ideas of experiences, let family members know that you are trying to do away with material gifts but that they’re welcome to gift these types of experiences.
It’s still not too late to return some of those gifts you purchased that you know will only provide temporary happiness.
Have a happy holiday with those who make you laugh, love, and enjoy life to the fullest!
-Dali
