While there is nothing wrong with a brand spanking new bike for your daughter’s birthday, you can’t help but wonder if there is something more lasting than a piece of metal with wheels that will eventually rust or gather cobwebs in the garage.
There is a shift in the way parents think nowadays, knowing somehow that children crave more than just expensive toys and things. If you want to give your child something that will last long after you’re gone, you may want to consider these:
- The gift of your undivided time. You’ve seen parents more absorbed in their cellphones than in attending to their child. Please don’t be one of them. To a child, you are the most wonderful thing in the world, and not do they only crave, but they need your full guidance. To have your utmost attention on them raises their self-worth, makes them more secure, and prepares them for the real world much better than unfocused rearing. There is nothing more important on your cell phone (or at least nothing that can’t wait) at any given moment than the child in front of you.
- The gift of financial preparedness. While you can’t protect them from every evil thing in the world, you can at least give them the gift of security when you are long gone from this world. Check out companies that offer life insurance in Taylorsville and see how you can best keep your child financially prepared in the eventuality that you will pass on. Life insurance is actually one of the best non-material gifts you can give a loved one as the benefits are so practical and far-reaching.
- The gift of experience. Too many parents bestow toys upon their children, forgetting the fact that most of these end up unused or hidden away in a large closet somewhere. If you want to give a gift that will last forever, give them memories they can look back on, cherish, and hold on to forever. Take them on trips that need not be expensive. Go camping, spend the night under the stars, do a picnic on the grass, jump into the ocean, climb a mountain together. The more adventurous, the more indelibly these will stay in your child’s heart forever.
- The gift of wisdom. Probably the most treasured of the lot is your own collection of insights about life that will serve as your child’s guidance as he navigates his. Wisdom passed on usually comes in the form of an example. Your child will be watching how you manage life’s difficulties, so take care that you exhibit a life of integrity. Yes, it’s a lot to ask for but this is the most precious gift you can pass on. A life lived with love, meaning, and other values that you hold dear will resonate with your child more than a bunch of gadgets or trinkets can.
It’s easy to spoil your child with gifts, but you can’t spoil your child with enough attention, time, and love. Arm them with all the weapons they need to live a full life, ready to meet challenges head-on. Now is the time to reconsider the sort of gifts you are giving and start to give gifts with meaning.
