By Adam Young
As the holiday season approaches, many parents are looking around the house and wondering where to fit another year’s worth of gifts. Luckily there’s a solution to “stuff” overload: Consider gifting your kids with an experience, instead.
Taking your kids to a play, a concert or a sporting event will not only offer you a chance to spend time together doing something you both enjoy—it’s also a present that won’t end up collecting dust before New Year’s Day. An outing may just be the perfect gift for your child. Here’s why.
1. Time to Reconnect
Today’s families are busier than ever, and parents and kids rarely have the chance to slow down and spend time together. Giving an experience is a guarantee of some quality family time, especially for parents of older kids. It can be difficult to find the time (and willingness) to really get kids to talk, but sitting together for nine innings is a great start.
Going to an event together can also help you share your interests with your kids. Of course, don’t buy your teenager tickets to your favorite band that they’ve never heard of. Get creative. Find tickets to a music festival with bands that you both like. Who knows, maybe your kid can teach you a thing or two about good music.
2. Things Don’t Bring Happiness
Like many parents, I’ve struggled to teach my own kids that possessions don’t bring joy or fulfillment in life. The gifts you give your children can be such a powerful way to communicate to them that there’s more to the holidays than a new toy or video game. And it may help them feel more thankful for the biggest gifts in their lives: their relationships.
3. Broaden Their Horizons
Taking your kids to an event can be the perfect opportunity to introduce them to something new. Your Disney-obsessed daughter is probably thrilled down to her toes that you’re taking her to see Aladdin on Broadway, but she’s never spent an evening out in the city. It can be an overwhelming experience for anyone who isn’t used to it. Teach her how to buy her own train ticket, hail a cab or tip the coat check attendant. There are countless opportunities to make any experience a chance to learn something new.
4. Manage Expectations
So you want to mix it up this year and focus on gifting experiences, but you’re a little worried that your kids will be sad to see fewer presents under the tree. Here are a few simple tips that will help the whole family get behind this change.
- Encourage the kids to make an “experiences wish list.” Not only will it help you get an idea of what kinds of outings they’d like to go on, but it will make them feel like a part of the decision. And it may help you brainstorm new ideas!
- Don’t eliminate physical gifts altogether. If it’s a special tradition to set up gifts after the kids go to bed and see their faces first thing in the morning, don’t do away with it completely. Maybe coordinate a toy or gift with the event you’ll be going to see. Taking your kids to a game? Maybe they each get their favorite player’s jersey. Added bonus: It’s way cheaper to buy souvenirs beforehand than at the stadium.
This year, think outside the box—literally. Give your kids the gift of new experiences, time with you and an event that will dazzle them. Check out what’s going on in your city and make this the year of unforgettable experiences.
About the Author
Adam Young is the founder of Event Tickets Center and the father of two teenaged children. Some of the most memorable gifts he’s given them have been experiences that have resulted in quality time together.
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