Gifts without the guilt
In a recent post on this blog, Linda McQuinn Carlblom, suggested strategies for helping children weed out un-necessary or un-used toys. It got me thinking about how to help this seemingly ongoing problem of ‘stuff accumulation’. Birthdays, Christmas and other special events tend to be the times when I am searching for something to wrap and deliver. It can be a time when I contribute to the stuff collections in the homes of those I love, often they are people like me who are trying to fight the never satisfied monster of consumerism. So how can we give gifts that don’t accumulate? That convey a message of love and appreciation without cluttering up the recipients’ home?
What are you really giving?
Here are a few things I like to consider when organising gifts for the children in my world (and this includes my children’s friend’s birthday parties).
1) Give something to eat!
Perhaps a recipe and bundle of ingredients for something SUPER yummy that can be made one afternoon? Or a collection of unusual and interesting confectionery? Or a batch of home made toffee apples with the child’s initials carved in the pre-toffee’d apple?
Once it’s been eaten – it’s gone!
2) Give something to do!
Find out what the receiving child is interested in making/creating and contribute to their developing hobby. Perhaps they are learning to sew – what about some cute patchwork fabric? Or a simple doll making kit? Perhaps they are beginning to be interested in model building – why not stock them up with bits of balsa wood and glue? Are they a budding writer or artist – how about a new notebook (I could never get enough of them as a child- and still find myself very happy with gifts of the stationary variety.)
Great shoes!
3) Give something to wear!
This can be an especially good idea when combined with point 2. How about a blank T-shirt and fabric paints or crayons? Or for an older child, a set of tie dying instructions and dyes? Even a simple pair of canvas sneakers can be decorated.
Or, perhaps a piece of clothing with a favourite branded character on it that the family would not normally purchase due to financial constraints?
4) Give something to read!
Maybe it’s just because I’m an author, but I believe books always make wonderful gifts. They are full of ideas and imagination. Find out what your child enjoys, start them on an enjoyable series, begin a collection of trusted classics. Although ebooks are on the rise, so are beautifully presented hard backs!
5) Give something that can be saved!
Sometimes the children we know are working hard doing jobs, or trying to save their pocket money to save for a larger dream purchase. If you find out about this inside information, maybe you could help contribute towards this dream?
Now, I’ll admit, I don’t always succeed at giving clutter free gifts. I’m often very guilty of contributing to another family’s toy heap, but it’s worth having a standard and aiming for it where possible.
What ideas do you have for ‘stuff free gifts’?
Or what have your children received with enthusiasm that didn’t equate to ‘just more things to tidy up’?
Outings are a great clutter free gift. Obviously it depends on the nature of the relationship (doesn’t work with every kid in the school class) but taking a child out to a movie, or for morning tea at a cafe or a museum, the zoo…
I hate contributing to clutter also. Our standby-gift that we often give to children of the in-the-school-class variety is a block of chocolate and a packet of fancy textas (the best ones are those that come with a white texta that changes the colour of the others). It all gets used up or eaten…
Great ideas, Liz.
I especially like the outing one!
I love these ideas, Penny! And they come at the perfect time for me. Three of my grandchildren have birthdays coming up in the next 2 weeks. Thanks for the fabulous ideas.
Hope your grand-kiddies have beautiful, fun filled yet clutter free birthdays. Enjoy them!
Great ideas, crafts and foods are always a good thing and I love giving books.
Yes, books are wonderful gifts – especially when chosen with prior knowledge of the child’s reading abilities and interests!
Excellent post, Penny. We use a lot of these because I’m sure everyone is as sick of clutter as I am. One of our daughters has a birthday in November, which puts it dangerously close to Christmas gift giving. When friends’ parents ask, I mention crafts as a good gift. The neighbors and I also swap food gifts around the holidays. When we have company over at New Year’s, they help us polish off all our treats.
Swapping food gifts is a good idea too – and I like how the gift is then continued by the communal polishing off!
Yes! I’m in total agreement with this! And I love the idea about outings! I always like to call that “creating a memory.” The purchased item can get used up and thrown out, but when you make a memory together, it’s something that you’ll treasure always. In today’s day and age too, the “commodity” that is the most precious is our time. When someone gives me their time — their full and undivided attention for a few hours — this means the world to me. I know it’s the same for children! That is the gift that means the most to me! For adults, another thoughtful and meaningful gift that does not increase clutter is a donation to a charity that you know they are passionate about or involved in.
I love giving donations to charity as gifts.
The gift of time is a good one too – thoughtful preparation is a gift in itself.