I love and hate this time a year. I love shopping for my family and buying them gifts. For the past 4 years because of college and unemployment, I wasn't able to give gifts to family, but this year I can. I already have purchased my Sister-in-law's gift and I think I know what I'm getting my brother. And then we get to the annoying overly smart 4 year-old.
My niece was born with natural smarts. Additionally, as a testament to her mother's great parenting skills, Little Olivia has been molded, shaped and given every opportunity to grow. My SIL has taught Olivia way beyond her age level. And there in lies the problem. I was out shopping last night with a friend. While in the "toy" section I found toys that said they were appropriate for a 4 year-old, except not my 4 year-old...which then leads me to trying to guess the smarts age for my niece. Should I get her age 5 stuff? Age 6? I want stuff that will challenge her yet at the same time be enjoyable to her. Most sadly is that I used to be able to send her cardboard boxes and crayons and she was happy. Not any more.
On Tuesday I won a little plush Mustang from my junior college prize bin. I'm going to send her that, but as to the rest of Christmas - not a clue. Hopefully my father and I can figure this out.
I've (sort of) moved!
8 years ago
4 comments:
I'm dealing with the opposite dilemma: how to give everyone on my list great presents without spending any money. (Or, not much money, anyway.)
Yeah - those lean college years suck. My brother and his family would get me these great gifts and I would just smile and nod and inside secretly plan for the day when I had a real job and the ability to return their generousity. Now days, I have a little bit more cash and so I can share the wealth (which I know makes me sound like a socialist - but I don't care.)
For most things, I think I am going to shoot for 6 yo stuff since even if it is too challenging for her now (yea, right), she can grow into it.
NOTE I am FIRMLY AGAINST electronic toys since they very rarely help develop the child as a person or academically.
Academic stuff, I am trying to stay somewhat on grade level, so she won't be too bored with school (you were home schooled so we never had that problem - we just taught you what you seemed to be capable of learning at the time - We ended up being a little ahead of the schools, but in the end it didn't make a big difference).
BTW - most of the stuff in the stores is junk, contributes nothing to developing the child and is soon forgotten. This is why she got a huge tub of Tinker Toys last year - she can build new things with them for years - she has enough pieces that the only real limit is her imagination (and if she runs out of pieces to build stuff with, I can always get her another tub).
Her mom sent me a Christmas list (much to her horror since I requested it before Halloween), so I am going to build off that.
Buying Christmas presents for kids, if you really care about them is very difficult to do. The good news is, in a few years, it will get a little easier because you can just get a list of the books she has read from her mom and buy her a dozen books that are not on the list.
I was kind of home schooled. I went for lunch and Mom didn't set up all of the curriculum - only some of it.
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