Gift Ideas for Kids: Dos and Don’ts for Parents

What type of gifts did you receive as a child? You need to go down memory lane before you pick new gifts for your kids. Did you enjoy them or just endured the embarrassment of telling your friends what your parents bought? Here is the truth. Most parents give little thought to gift ideas for kids. Chances are that you cannot even remember what you got for a special holiday like Christmas or your birthday. Why? The gift had no impact on you as a child.

Here is another interesting fact. Some parents do not correct their mistakes even with age. You are all grown now but your mom or dad still buys gifts you cannot use. The mindset does not go with age. It sounds rude to refuse a gift from a parent. So, spare your kids the agony and learn how to pick the best gifts for them. Avoid the following mistakes when buying gifts for kids.

Common mistakes that parents make with gift ideas for kids

1. Buying random little gifts

If you are a parent reading this, you may be guilty of this already. Sometimes you walk into a store or gift shop and pick random items. The only thought that comes to mind here is the child’s gender. You leave the store with random gifts for a boy or girl and dump them on your kids. Your kids’ room will be full of little toys that they never play with or like.

2. Underestimating their kids’ intelligence

We know how to play tricks on kids or we think we know. However, kids have a level of intelligence to know what they enjoy. Have you tried to make them a certain TV show and failed? Well, that tells you they have likes and dislikes. Many times parents use small cheap gifts to trick their kids into forgetting about thoughtful gifts. Unfortunately, your kids talk to their friends about gifts and realize that their friends get better gifts. They may or may not express their frustration depending on their age and the nature of your relationship.

3. Buying what they like

You can walk into a gift shop and see gift ideas for kids that you like. For instance, you may like to dress your girl in cartoon-themed dresses or shoes. You buy such a gift and feel good when you see your kid wearing the item that you bought. Gifts are supposed to make the recipient feel good. You should feel good because your kids love their gifts. Give a little thought to their interests, hobbies, personalities, and likes when buying gifts.

4. Frugal gift shopping

Shopping for kids’ gifts should not create an impression of frugal shopping in your mind. If you think that kids do not care or notice the type of gifts that you buy every year, you will settle for frugal shopping. You do not need to buy expensive gifts to show your love. However, your focus should not be on random items on sale or throwaway gift items in the market. Do not dump stuff on your kids because you can afford them or redeem coupons for them.

5. Thinking of quantity instead of quality

Many parents for some reason think that kids want many gifts. If you think this way, you will make most of the mistakes we have mentioned so far. You will buy many random and cheap gifts that your kids do not need or like. We started with a trip to our childhood. If your parents bought any quality gifts that you liked, you still have that memory. Buy gift items that kids can use or play with for a long time.

6. Giving no gifts at all

You are doing well if you have some gift ideas for kids, even if you have made one or two mistakes. We have a category of parents that do not give any gifts at all. For whatever reason, such parents argue against sharing gifts with kids. You can express love in different ways and giving gifts is a great way to show love to your kids. Avoid the extreme of buying many expensive kids to replace your presence or time with kids. However, you cannot cut off gifts. You need to teach kids the beauty of giving to others.

7. Extreme perfectionism with gifts

We have already talked about random cheap gifts. You now know that they are a bad idea, even when shopping on a budget. However, you must avoid extreme perfectionism when looking for gifts. Some parents go overboard and overspend on gifts to avoid rejection from their kids, especially their grown kids. Some will sacrifice their happiness to get their kids what they like or demand at an event such as a birthday.

While we talk about parents’ mistakes, realize that kids can also make unreasonable demands. You do not need to meet each demand or need in the family. Instead, do the best you can within your budget.

8. Taking gifts back

We will finish with a mistake that often hurts kids more than their parents realize. Some parents go to a gift shop and buy gifts that they know their kids like or need. It could be a wearable item or tech gifts such as a mobile device or gaming console. The kids are excited to open and receive the gifts. However, the kids must follow certain rules to keep the gifts. Other parents will return an item after opening it just because they think it is unsafe or unfit for the kids.

We cannot explain in words the emotional rollercoaster that happens in kids with this mistake. Avoid giving gifts and taking them back for whatever reason. If the clothes or shoes do not fit, replace them. If the toy is broken, replace it immediately with a similar toy.

Sharing gifts should always bring joy and fulfillment to the recipients, including kids. You are a wiser buyer now with the information we have shared. You do not need to go on any guilt trip. Use the tips to make better choices of future gifts. You can visit us for gift ideas for kids and the whole family.