Brilliant Christmas Gift Ideas for Every Family Member
The day after Thanksgiving is the usual kickoff for holiday shopping, and Americans spend billions each year on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Department stores, online shops, and big-box retailers were the top targets were shoppers in 2018, per a poll from RetailMeNot. Most of us have a routine for Christmas and holiday shopping, but that doesn’t mean we know what we’re getting every person on our list. It can be especially tough if you have a range of people to shop for in your family. Here are some ideas that can make everyone in your family happy this Christmas.
For your kids
Shopping for kids drives a big chunk of holiday sales. Every parent has memories of Christmas when they were kids. The ones with great memories want to re-create the same sort of experience for the kids, while the ones with bad memories are determined to do better by their own offspring. On average, Americans reported spending more than $300 per child on holiday gifts in 2017.
The price is so high in part because some parents feel pressured to buy fancy computers or smartphones for their children. More spoiled kids may demand the latest technology, but if that’s not in your budget, you shouldn’t feel bad. Most of today’s parents grew up without the internet being a constant in their life. Your kids don’t need to be looking at a screen every minute of the day, so feel free to draw the line.
You have a ton of other choices that can make your kids happy. Many kids around age 5 or 6 still love action figures the same way you did 20 or 30 years ago. While you probably weren’t into anime as a kid, your child very well might be. In that case, a Dragon Ball Z action figure from Toy Titanz could be just the thing they want to see under the tree on Christmas morning. If your kids have never heard of anime, don’t despair. Talk to them and see what kind of movies and TV shows they’re into right now, and then shop for action figures based on that.
For your spouse or partner
Children are great, but they also make it much harder to focus on your spouse or partner. Little ones just have a way of taking up all the energy, which is understandable to a point. But you still need to make time for your romantic relationship. If you don’t, you’ll have nothing left to do or talk about once the kids leave the nest.
Some couples will even decide they’re not exchanging presents at all. They’d much rather spend that money on their children instead. That’s a noble impulse. But it’s also not really fair to you or your partner. It suggests that you’re taking certain aspects of your relationship for granted. Married couples should still go on dates with each other, and they should also exchange gifts.
But there’s no law that the husband has to get jewelry for his wife, or that the wife has to get a tie for her husband. You can break the rules a little by planning a vacation for each other. A shared experience will help you rediscover the romance that goes missing when you’re stressed out or tired.
When it comes to travel, few places are more romantic than Hawaii. It’s also relatively cheap compared to international locations that require you to obtain a visa first. If you and your partner have agreed to go to Hawaii, you can gift each other segments of the trip on Christmas. For example, if you know your spouse is interested in Maui luaus, buy tickets to one and wrap them up in a box. In return, they might present you with a reservation to one of the most exclusive restaurants in Honolulu.
