How To Succeed With Christmas Gifts

Taking into account the current time of the year, I would like to introduce this post to answer questions about how to  succeed with Christmas gifts, establishing a balance between what children want and what they need.

What do they want as Christmas gifts?

What they want is simple; you just have to ask and they already have the information from their peers, as well as from TV advertising about the best gifts. Surely, and considering that I’m not referring to younger ages, the majority will want something related to new technologies. We need to understand, the advertising industry is investing the most on child-teen related research, and they have huge Marketing departments devoted to capture their attention. But despite the large amount of advertising there is to it, these may not be the best gifts.

But what is it they really need?

What they need – as Christmas gifts and in general – is more complicated, especially because this forces us to think more, to look more, to spend more time; and after all, we may end up seeing faces of disappointment because it is not “what they wanted”. However, sooner or later they will understand this was done with love. In fact this is what they need most, but we’ll come back to this later.

  1. They need to project their imagination. This can be done through books and toys, not through movies. More and more books are classified by age, and knowing a little of what your kids like, you can find some that may be of interest for them … especially to read before bedtime, which may become a habit and helps them sleep (unlike the exposure to any type of screen)
  2. They need to share. And by this I do not mean online games, but to have the need to play with other children who are physically located in the same place. Combine this with the need to do sport, we can find many ideas as well as clubs and associations where they can go if they are sports that should be monitored.
  3. They need to create. We are in a society in which we give them everything already-made, or with an instruction manual to follow a few simple steps to get results quickly. Creative processes are different, and they can also learn to be patient, to see how things evolve. In this sense there are many games related to crafts, DIY, or magic that, in addition to developing their patience and creativity, are related to the imagination and the need for sharing and participating.
  4. They need them to be fun and dynamic. Gifts are now more passive than ever, so they usually end up in the closet. They are very repetitive so they get bored soon (unless they come through a screen). What is the difference in the traditional “noughts and crosses”, and one of the current “candies”? The colors, the music … but also they are almost always played alone.
  5. They need to go outdoors. Taking into account that they spend many hours in classes, it is good that a game has this feature In this case a puppy is not the best example, because it is a living being and they may not be mature enough to take responsibility for the tasks entailed. But I’m sure that having this in mind you can find gifts that, in addition to this feature, have also some of the above.

“Last but not Least”

An important feature to consider is the value of all Christmas gifts. But in this case, the amount is not important. What matters is the quality of time they will spend playing, the enjoyment, the experiences they’ll have.

Above all, the most important thing is to think about all this with love. Children need their parents’ love, and even though the family circumstances may not be the best, it is important to feel and make them feel that love. This is the most important ingredient on the process of thinking and buying gifts, especially now at Christmas.

So you too, go ahead and play!! Play with your children; spend time with them and give them the love they need.

And if you don’t find any gift, you can always use a Cardboard Box !! 😉 MERRY CHRISTMAS

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