Why You Should Involve Children in Gift Giving

Giving gifts is one of the simpler pleasures in life. It’s nice to head down to the store, shop around for someone you care about, and see their face when they open up the perfect present you picked just for them. If you’re gift shopping for a family event, you might consider getting your children involved in the process. Unfortunately, some parents find this quite challenging.

Young children simply aren’t able to fully grasp the selfless nature of giving a gift. We are raised into the world of “I want,” but over time we need to teach them appreciation. Kid learn this at a different rate, some earlier than others. Including children in the gift-giving process is a good way to help them learn this skill.

There are two psychological processes that happen when you give someone a gift. The first comes from the simple process of selecting a gift to give. When you enter a store, you’ll see plenty of great gifts to choose from. But selecting the one you want is a personal process. It requires you to think about the other person and relate to them. You have to take their wants, their needs, and their desires into consideration. This psychological process requires you to relate to the other person, and think about them in a compassionate way. This is a selfless act, and having children help pick the gift out can be instrumental in their psychological development.

The second psychological process of gift giving is watching our loved on open up the present we chose for them. For us, this can feel like a reward. We see that we made someone happy, and know that we chose the right gift. This process strengthens our relationship with we loved on and actually can make us feel safe and secure. When children understand that they have done something kind for another person, they feel as if that person will also be kind to them. This helps kids build positive relationships with friends and family members, helping them learn to be compassionate, appreciative people.

Birthdays, weddings, and similar events are the best times to involve children in gift giving. These events are one-way transactions. You choose a present for the person of honor and don’t expect anything in return. Christmas is certainly a popular time for gift giving, but to children, this can feel more like a transaction. They might associate the gift they are giving someone else with the one they will receive in return. But when it’s only a one-way transaction, you can highlight the second psychological process of gift giving.

Of course, gift giving is so much more than a mental health exercise. It’s simply a fun thing to do. Our society gives gifts as a form of celebration. We take the time to feel happy for the important people in our lives and have a tangible way of demonstrating this. Spending an hour or two picking out the perfect present with your children is fun. It can be a great way to get a little family time in, even if you have a busy schedule.