Gift Ideas and Suggestions for Grandchildren
Inexpensive Birthday and Christmas Gifts from Grandparents
Dec 4, 2008
The financial limitations of retirement can make buying for extended family stressful for retirees. Even for those grandparents still working, buying large numbers of Christmas gifts and birthday presents throughout the year can place unnecessary stress on the budget.
Giving Gift Vouchers as Gifts
It can be difficult to keep up with the individual interests of each grandchild. With favourite interests sometimes changing daily, it is even hard for parents to know from one day to the next what a particular child would prefer, particularly for teens. It is harder still if grandchildren live at a distance and aren’t in regular contact.
Gift vouchers are the perfect solution for hard to buy for grandchildren. Keep the retailer as general as possible to improve the chance of being able to find something appropriate. General department stores have music and electronic game cartridges that should meet with the approval of even the fussiest teenager and younger children can easily find toys, books and other items that are suitable.
For a more personalised gift, promise to take the child shopping to spend their voucher, turning a small gift into an opportunity to spend an afternoon or entire day together.
Substitute an Activity for a Gift
If grandchildren live close enough, organise a special activity instead of giving a gift. This could be a trip to the cinema to see a movie or a visit to a local coffee shop for older children or an afternoon baking cookies or a visit to a local playground for younger ones. A visit to a local museum or art gallery might suit some children.
For many children with working parents and busy lifestyles, being able to spend some time one on one with someone who cares about them is a gift in itself. Time can be spent simply relaxing together or consider passing on a skill like crochet, knitting, baking, woodworking, painting or gardening.
Family Gifts for Christmas
Instead of buying individual gifts at Christmas, consider buying a family gift instead. This could be a board game, new game for the family XBox, Playstation or Wii, voucher to a restaurant or tickets for the family to a local sporting event. For large families, this can be considerably cheaper than buying a gift for each member of the family.
General Tips for Grandparents Buying Gifts
Whether shopping on a budget or not, it is important to consider the wishes of parents when buying gifts for their children, especially if investing in more expensive items or those requiring ongoing investments of time or money.
Items such as game consoles and mobile phones should be cleared with the child’s parent first. If purchasing games for handheld electronic games (Gameboy, Nintendo DS etc) or game units such as Playstation, XBox and Wii, check the rating on the game to ensure that it is suitable for the whole family. It is a good idea to check with parents before buying games, as some families have restrictions about the ratings or types of games that they allow their children to play.
For a variety of reasons, parents often have items that they would prefer their children to not receive as gifts. Be sensitive to these wishes and avoid gifts that will cause friction.
Work together with adult children to come up with gift ideas that are both budget-friendly and suitable for individual family preferences and tastes. Remember that being a positive and loving influence in the lives of grandchildren is the most significant gift that a grandparent can offer.
 |
