I am a practical guy, and I enjoy practical gifts, meaning I enjoy getting gifts I will use. I'm not big on decorations or fancy things. I don't mind gift cards because I can use them to things that my family will use. I like movies or books that I will see or read again and again. Tools or camping gear is always welcome.
Now, I know my wife doesn't think like me. She is a very practical lady, but she doesn't want gifts that, while making a job easier, try to assist her in doing a job she really dislikes to begin with. For instance, she appreciates the high quality mixer that a got her several years ago because she somewhat enjoys cooking, uses the mixer almost everyday, and it helps make that job easier. She currently wants a sewing machine, not because she enjoys sewing, but because she needs one. So she already told me I can't get her a sewing machine for Christmas, because no matter how good it is, she isn't going to be thrilled at the chance to use it. Message received; if she tells me she doesn't want something for Christmas, I can clue in and not get it for her.
The kids have gone through the Sears Wish Book catalog (which was delivered in August) and cut out their choices and made a poster. We asked them to circle their favorite 3 to help narrow it down, and told them Santa will probably only bring them one of those things. As I mentioned in a past article - Typical Wedding Costs $26,000 - we try to keep things fairly practical for our kids. This is really a learned behavior on our part as with the oldest we quickly learned that most toys are quickly loved and quickly discarded. I wasn't kidding when I said that the kids sometimes play with the cardboard boxes more than the gifts. We've learned to be more choosy when buying gifts Even when a child is crying that they want a certain one, it doesn't actually mean they will use it.
So, because I don't want a gift (or the money and time) to be wasted, I take a fair bit of time in looking for a gift before I buy it. I am happy to say that my success rate with gifts for my wife and the kids is pretty good (at least for how I measure success).
My wife does the same for me. She asks me what I'm interested in, watches all year, in fact, to see what commercials or ads I look at most. Several years ago she got me the HBO series "From the Earth to the Moon" on DVD. It's about NASA developing its program to land a man on the moon, and I have to say really enjoy it, enough that I watch it probably once every year. It was just what I wanted, and if I didn't have it today I would still want to own it. It was/is the perfect gift for me, a bit of a NASA nut.
Has anyone given you the perfect gift? Do you still smile when you use it or think of it? Feel free to post your perfect gift and why it was perfect. Jerry
We had a tough time last year with a lot less money available for Christmas. My wife got the kids together and helped them write letters to me about the things they like doing with me. To have a child write out how much they love me for helping her learn to ride a bike is powerful. My other one wrote that she liked it when we played horsey. I hadn't played that with her in a long time, but she remembered it. Those letters were the best gift (besides my wife) that I could ever get. The TV can be thrown out, the ski-doo sold to someone else, but I'm keeping those letters forever.
ReplyDeleteMy parents gave me a bike when I was about 9. It was a little too big at the time, but I used it until I was 14 when it was a ltitle too small. I used that bike to go to friends' places, the pool, park, and all over town. It gave me independence and adventure in my small hoem town. I only hope I can give something that does that much for my kids some day. M.N.
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