Christmas Thoughts.- How do we strike a balance in gifting?
Christmas, most of our best childhood memories centre around this magical holiday. The joys of putting up the Christmas tree; dancing lights that add that ethereal glow, gingerbread, and cookies decorated in icing, an ambrosial flavour of cinnamon and everything nice. Anticipating the count down to Christmas mornings, when mysterious presents appear under the tree - catching the Kodak moments, likewise when we unwrap Santa’s presents. Memories like this, are always etched in our hearts and we keep them alive, recreating the same tradition year after year, this time with our kids.
Dr. Seuss wrote the book “How the Grinch stole Christmas”, an excerpt “And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
Despite this, in the Spirit of Giving, how do we strike a balance in gifting; as Tom receives his 10th transformer and Kate keeps count of her Barbie collection. Even Dad secretly hopes to receive the latest version of the x-box game. As the escalating environmental issues are ticking away, maybe it is time for us to begin conscientious gifting. Here are a few ideas that we could ruminate about, before the next gift.
Practicality can be achieved by placing some thought about its purpose to the receiver. Best is to get some insights from the parents, for instance, the age of the kid and their preferred activities. Buying a set of tennis rackets for a bookworm would definitely be a white elephant. Knowing the financial situation of the family might help them receive a much-needed necessity. Gift vouchers are excellent in these situations.
Creativity is best encouraged through gifting. Kids view them as possibilities and potentials. Check out what is trending at that moment, in particular, if the kid has any special interest. Art, music, cooking or even dance trial lessons, simultaneously allow them to try new things. For that matter, even a box of colour pencils or crayons goes a long way.
Durable and Environmentally Friendly products should be an important criterion. This encourages manufacturers to seriously consider and design kids safe products. As there is a famous line in the ivory trade against killing: When the buying stops, the killing can too.
Collaborate with the giver. Make a list of items your kids already have and possibly need. This will cease repeat gifts and save a lot of storage space. Include both fun and practical gifts.
Educate and prepare your kids about the spirit of Christmas gifting. The reason behind the season - the presence of the family celebrating in the spirit of love. The gifts are secondary and your kid might just surprise you.
As ever we like to shop small and can highly recommend shopping at The Playfair where you can find all your present needs. Last weekend of shopping to go take a visit this weekend and shop for those essential needs.
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3 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec City Mall
#02-433/434 (Facing ToTT)
Near Tower 5, Lift Lobby F
Daily, 11:00am - 9.00pm