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Challenge: Reducing Holiday Stress

Get Your Kids the Christmas Gift They Really Need - Your Time

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Gifts that we give and receive in special moments, such as holidays, can really be challenging. However, what makes those gifts special is the true joy of the moment, when a family get together to enjoy time together. Finding a special, unique and fun Christmas gift for your children to remember can actually be a challenge, and for some it turns into a tedious chore.

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Budget

Our kids are bombarded with different children product advertisements, especially around holidays. They can’t understand the purpose of it because, well, they’re kids. They lack the ability of analytical thinking, and they don’t realize when something’s too expensive, so budget is the key (as with most financial matters in life). Set your Christmas budget, stick to it, and will make smart and selective decisions for happy kids and a happy pocket.

Your dollar amount is dictated by your financial situation and the number of children, but it’s important to give them gifts of equal value, to develop a sense of equality in them. If your budget is $150 and you have 3 children, then spend $50 on each of their presents. Also, you can have them do the shopping for each other, which can serve as a valuable lesson in thoughtfulness to older children. So, if $50 per child is your budget, give each of them a $50 spending limit and let the buy gifts for their siblings within the limit. Children today are much more tech savvy, so they can just lay back and check out different online deals Australia has to offer on its eCommerce websites specialized in gifts for children.

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The Importance of Togetherness

A new Playstation console can bring people together, but in a completely different manner. Even though a Playstation is less expensive than some experience-based gifts, you simply cannot place a financial value on spending family time. Thus, instead of buying stuff, you can replace it with memorable experiences.

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  • Learn something together. Take lessons in horseback riding, or look for sailing or scuba-diving lessons if you live relatively close to water. A passion for learning and satisfying their curiosity is something that starts at home. Teach them to love to learn, and ask what, who, how, where, why, and why not.
  • A field trip. Take your kids to a museum, science center, zoo, or a sporting event. Buy a yearly family pass so you can go for a visit again, and give them something they can continuously look forward to during the whole year.
  • Take a long ride. Instead of buying a $500 tech piece, go for a family train ride such as a scenic ride along the Australia coast. These experiences are a great opportunity to show them how they can find beauty everywhere around them, in the things they see and the people they meet.
  • Take them to see a live stage production. If they have never seen a large music performance, such as a concert or opera, or a theatre show, then hit the road each year for attending show all across the country. Perhaps they will get inspired to be creative themselves, and wish to start singing, acting, or playing an instrument. In order to find out what they are good at and what they enjoy, children need opportunities to experience new things. No amount is too much for this.

You are giving them a gift of time that can’t be expressed in money nor taken back. And out of all people on the world, you should dedicate your time to your kids. After an experience of togetherness, they will find out what it feels like to come home to a place of security and warmth after mind-expanding experiences.

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