My favorite gifts to give are always experiences.
I guess that’s because my love language is quality time.
I took Sydney to a play based on C.S. Lewis’ book The Screwtape Letters as a gift for her 16th birthday.
My nephew Clayton also turned 16 recently, so I made reservations at a chef’s table experience at a great restaurant downtown to encourage his growing love of cooking.
With younger children it’s even easier to plan a simple outing that they will love.
We would often give a family vacation to our kids on Christmas.
For parents, I think the saying is especially true that often the best kind of present is presence.
Our kids need to be deeply known, and they need to deeply know us.
That takes spending intentional time together.
Parents and kids often get stuck in a relational rut.
We may be spending time around our kids, but weeks and months can easily go by when we don’t spend any quality time with them.
So when you think about giving gifts to your kids, take a minute and ask what kinds of gifts will deepen your relationship with them.
Every one of these crafted experiences represents exploring a new way to deepen a connection.
Jeremy
P.S. If you give an experience this Christmas, print out a picture and put it in an envelope on the tree. Make sure it has a specific date that’s already on your calendar!
This entry is a part of Jeremy’s Journal, a newsletter Jeremy sends out every Wednesday morning to encourage you on your parenting journey. You can sign up to get them every Wednesday here.
