By Pili Abouchaar
I love directing Grandly’s mission and working with grandparents. Today, however, I am writing to you simply as a mother of two young children.
Christmas is approaching and this is a very important time of the year to be strategic, especially in gift-giving. I was asked recently, “What was your favorite gift you received as a child?” As I thought about my answer, I was a bit surprised. I only remembered a few gifts and they had all lost their “wow” factor pretty quickly. However, when asked, “What are your best Christmas memories?”, my mind flooded with the sights, sounds, and special memories of our celebrations of the Christmas season. One of my favorite memories is my grandmother’s cooking. Her “thing” was to cook exotic meats and have us guess what we were eating. The most exotic ever was… lion! Through the years, I remember the many annual traditions we had: decorating the tree, putting up the lights, making cookies, shopping together, and many more. These Christmas experiences and customs were a significant part of our family identity and always make their way into my treasured memories.
Now as a young mother, I have many childhood recollections but I also know I have forgotten some special things from Christmases past. That is where grandma and grandpa can help us as we create our young family’s traditions and memories.
Experiences / Relationship building
Outings are a great way to spend time with your own children and grandchildren. They build both memories and relationships. I recently learned about some grandparents who give an “experience” to each of their three kids’ families as a Christmas gift. They have taken each family for a whole day to the aquarium, the zoo, a museum, or the waterpark. These events are both fun and memorable for everyone.
One of the best things grandparents can do is provide a gift that will not only make a grandchild happy but also make the child’s parents happy. Have you asked the mothers and fathers of your grandchildren what types of gifts would be most helpful to them? You could ask the parents directly or propose some options for them to choose from. These might include games or books about growing in faith or virtue.
Here are a couple of items that my friends or I have found helpful to have our children receive. (Click on the title to get a link to the product.)
Melissa & Doug 4-Pc Wooden Nativity Set
This wooden nativity set is easy for little hands to manipulate. You can spend time telling them the story of the birth of Jesus and playing with them.
A magazine is a gift that will last all year: Receiving something in the mail is rare for children these days, but it is exciting to them and gives them something to look forward to.
Clubhouse Jr. Magazine is for children aged 3-7, Clubhouse Magazine is for children 8-12, and Brio Magazine is for teenage girls.
I hope you have a blessed time planning strategic Christmas surprises for both your children and your grandchildren this year!
Pili Abouchaar is the Director of Grandly
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Related
Now I UnderstandJuly 15, 2021In “For Discussion”
A Christmas StrategyNovember 1, 2020In “Tools You Can Use”
A Great GiftDecember 15, 2018In “For Discussion”
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