Every Christmas, birthday, and other gift-giving holidays I drag my kids to the store to help them pick out gifts for friends, teachers, siblings, and more.
Maybe saying “I drag my kids” is the wrong way to phrase this. More like… “My kids drag me” to the store. I know it’s important and such a great learning moment for my kids, but let’s be honest, it’s hard! And a lot of work on the parent’s end. So why do we do it?? Why don’t we just buy the gift on our own time and slap their name on it?
Because there’s no learning in doing it that way.
It is hard and a lot of work to take the time to teach our kids the value and benefit of gift-giving, but they learn so much from it.
Like genuine love for another person.
And that others have needs that they can help meet.
They learn empathy through gift-giving.
And how to genuinely care for someone else.
It gives them a chance to think about and ponder the person they want to get a gift for.
It brings out the happiness in them that you can only get when giving gifts.
Their confidence is given a boost as well when they watch the receiver open the gift.
And it teaches them grace and proper reactions for their own gift receiving.
This list is just a small amount of what goes on in the process of gift-giving with kids, so of course, it’s worth it! Maybe this list is more for me, but hopefully when you’re in the trenches of Target trying to settle on a good gift for your children’s grandparents, just remember the lessons they are learning are absolutely priceless and will stay with them through the rest of their lives.