Should Christmas gifts have a purpose?
When choosing gifts for your children, do you put a lot of intellectual thought into it, or just grab an easier option (like what the kids are nagging for!)?
In an ideal world, I think we should have a purpose in mind for the gifts we give our children.
For example, we may decide it is important to encourage activity rather than sedentary lifestyle so we chose (predominantly at least) gifts to suit that lifestyle value. Or maybe healthy eating is important to you so you give dried fruit instead of lollies and healthy cook books rather than chocolate ones!
Instead of overall values, maybe the purpose of for gifts would suit each child and help with things they need to develop (maybe Scrabble for someone struggling with reading, jigsaws for those not skilled in problem solving or Pictionary or Cazoo for kids who need more communication skills).
As much fun and pleasure as kids derive from opening the gifts at Christmas, surely we should keep the big picture in mind and choose gifts that lead the child in directions we like?
Mind you, I am not saying give kids presents they’ll hate – let them enjoy Christmas and we want them to use the purposeful gifts. Just find a compromise – don’t give an inactive kid a bike but perhaps give an electronic game that involves moving or a scooter for getting to and from school.
What do you think? Is it better to choose gifts with a purpose, that support your goals and aims as parents (grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc)?
If not completely about purpose, what proportion of their gifts would you like to have a purpose?
Tags: compromise, gifts, purpose, values





November 4th, 2011 at 10:38 am
I always tried to give kids ‘educational’ gifts when I was young – and certainly avoided trashy things. But Idid learn that almost anything can be educational as much of kids’ time is playing to learn so can be building social skills, creativity, problem solving, logic and vocabulary just from some toys cars, a tea set, any book, some dolls, etc.
November 4th, 2011 at 10:54 am
You’re right, Joanna – kids can learn from all sorts of things so a plastic container and a wooden spoon can be as educational as some expensive gadget labelled as ‘educational and developmental toy’. I too moved away from specifically getting educational and worthwhile toys as all toys can fit that category (although toys that teach violence I still avoid).
So I removed ‘education’ as a gif purpose, but try for other purposes (health, exercise and creativity are probably my top 3, depending on the child involved.)
November 30th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
I think just thoughtful gifts in general is a purpose. That is, by giving gifts that means something I am showing I care, by giving one gift you will use instead of a few junky ones I am protecting the environment and teaching kids value over quantity, and by giving positive gifts I am encouraging children to become good people.
November 30th, 2011 at 4:24 pm
That is very true, Akela – thanks for giving a different perspective of gifts with a purpose.