Faves are everywhere! Social media trains us to look for them: Click the thumbs up. Heart this image. We want to share our faves. We want to see what others fave. Perhaps this trend is so “fave” because it takes the guess work out of decisions. Perhaps it makes the potential risks appear less threatening. Surely, we say, if this person likes it, or if it’s popular with that group, it will be great for us, too.
In this eNews edition, our Rainbow Resource staff shares our faves. These are products we’ve used in our own homes, that have been a big hit among friends and family, and that we think are just good gifts. So, we want to share.
Warning! We share these with a special caution. At Rainbow, we believe each family is unique and that one curriculum doesn’t fit all. When we talk educational materials, you’ll find us talking more about principles and characteristics than what’s most popular or the “gotta-haves.” This belief is foundational, and it applies to our gifting as well. Look at our suggestions. See if they’re good fits for your family. Maybe you’ll find a good match—maybe you won’t.
But . . .
No matter what you decide to give, we do believe there are a few absolute MUST-GIVES. And we will be adamant about these.
Give your time. This is the most precious of gifts. Set aside time with your child. This moment you spend with them is precious. Nothing can replace genuine time together. You may have to eliminate some other activities or streamline to give this gift. Fight the temptation to always be going and doing. Be present. Commit to turning off your phone and other media, to turning away from distractions and toward giving your full attention to your child. Even if it’s just a few minutes a day, commit to some one-on-one time with each of them.
Give an experience. Do. Together. Complete an activity; start a tradition. Focus on things you can do together. The criteria: choose simple and good. Most of what we remember, what will be meaningful and make a significant impact on us are not things, but what we do—and what we do together. We treasure the game playing, the puzzle assembling, the making a craft, the outdoor play. Those activities will be what change us and what we will carry with us for a lifetime.
Give a sentiment. Select gifts that trigger memories or represent significant, landmark achievements. These are gifts with impact. You might give in remembrance of turning a milestone age, of a significant step in maturity or skill, or as tribute of something or someone special. One year, my mother gave an unpretentious, wooden, hand-me-down tool box to my 8-year-old son who just discovering the joys of tools. He treasures that still as an adult today. And I make sure every child in our family receives wooden sorting toy because I had one as a child. It’s a treasured, family “rite of passage.”
Whether you give a tangible item this year or not, make sure to connect your gift with creating memories. What your recipients will treasure and remember are the memories created and not that they got the “hot gift” that year. Ultimately, your goal is to give a memory. As Dr. Seuss was known to say, “you’ll never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”
Wishing you a memorable Christmas from our family to yours!
~Ruth
