This is How to Manage Kids’ Gift Expectations This Year
With many New Yorkers unemployed due to the coronavirus pandemic, this holiday’s gifting will likely be smaller. Here’s how to manage your kids’ expectations.
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Gift Ideas that Won’t Break the Bank
One suggestion is to offer compromises whenever possible, Barbanel says. You may not be able to afford the PS5 or latest Xbox console right now, but you can help create family memories for your kids that will last a lifetime. Schedule video chats with loved ones and friends they may not see in person this year, and if children are old enough, organize games and activities everyone in the family can participate in together.
One priceless idea is to give your child the gift of your time. Think board games the family can play together, a new book that you read together, spending a day 1-on-1 with Mom at the child’s favorite museum, complete with lunch at their favorite restaurant, or heading out to one of the attractions in NYC that are currently open for an awesome experience. “As your child is opening a gift, talk about how using it will allow you to spend time together,” says Wednesday Martin, Ph.D., a social researcher with a background in anthropology and author of Primates of Park Avenue. “What you’re modeling is that a gift is a route to a social and personal connection.”
Or perhaps, you’re able to give the gift of a subscription box for your child, even if for a few months. That gives them something to look forward to in the mail, an opportunity to have 1-on-1 time with Mom or Dad, and an experience. Now that’s what we consider a win-win-win!
This year has been hard for everyone. But you can use the challenges given to us by 2020 to remind your kids of the real meaning of the holidays while giving them gifts that are priceless, such as spending time with family and being grateful for all that they have.
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