It’s that time of year when many of us begin shopping for Christmas gifts for friends and family. But it’s not as simple as it used to be. Not everyone wants a physical gift anymore.
This is particularly true of some of my adult kids. I’m sure their children like opening gifts, but they don’t want more clutter in their homes. One of them suggested that I buy experiences instead of physical gifts for my grandchildren.
Of course, my mind immediately went back to when I was a child, and how much I loved finding my gifts under the Christmas tree. And it also brought back memories of how much my children enjoyed opening their many gifts each year on Christmas morning.
But my kids were at home all day and had plenty of time to play with all of their toys. Some of my grandchildren spend long days in daycare or school and afterschool care, and come home in time to have dinner and go to bed again. They have plenty of toys and no time to play with them.
The days of a child having only one or two treasured toys are long gone. Kids today have more toys than they know what to do with; sometimes they’re so busy playing games and watching movies on their parents’ phones that they don’t even think about their toys.
This is hard for me to accept but I think it’s a fact: it would be wiser for me to give them experiences instead of stuff. Their parents would prefer it, and they might actually get some enjoyment out of museum passes, zoo passes, show tickets or something similar. Their folks don’t have a money tree, so providing a gift like this for the kids is also a gift for their parents. They can enjoy a fun outing with their children without having to pay for it.
So I’ve begun to research this concept. If you have grandchildren or young nieces and nephews or all of the above, you might also want to think about doing this. Here are some examples to get you started:
Museum passes (some offer the bonus benefit of getting into other museums for discounted or free admission)