With the holiday season always comes the inevitable dilemma of figuring out who to get gifts for and what to get them. This problem amplifies for anyone in a relationship who doesn’t know when it’s appropriate to start gift-giving, or what the right gift is.
It’s the little nuances about the person you’re with, the things that you share in common that would make any gift special. A gift, therefore, should be something related to either a place you visited together or an inside joke that you have.
So look back on what you’ve done together. That gift should be that little reminder of the fun that will keep you on their mind just a little bit longer. This could be as simple as a small compilation of the first few e-mails you sent each other, or as funny as a book entitled “Dirty Russian: Everyday Slang from ‘What’s Up?’ to “F*** Off!” that you both came across while perusing the shelves of Barnes and Noble. If music is what you have in common, then a mix CD could be one way to go. Just remember that something that has meaning is better than just a tie or a bracelet.
In the relationship of a grandchild and grandparent, often as grandchildren, we tend to rely on our parents to get the higher end gifts. Even though we aren’t five years old anymore and can’t give grandma our finger-painted master piece from art class, a gift could come easier if siblings pool their money to get her a manicure or to get grandpa a book on a subject that you know he’s interested in. If you know your grandparents are into becoming more technologically savvy, enlist the help of your parents into getting them a Nook or iPad. This might take a little research beforehand if you don’t know what interests they have, but once you have a better idea, the gift ideas will come more easily.
However, you shouldn’t feel obligated to give a present to just anyone over the holidays. Just because these holidays have been turned into commercial machines doesn’t mean you need to conform and give gifts at all. If you feel like you want to give a gift, then go ahead. But don’t let a holiday pressure you into giving.
The present shouldn’t be forced. If you’re pulling your teeth out trying to think of what to get, then maybe you shouldn’t be giving it at all. It should only be if you know that it’s something that they would appreciate and find special. If it’s just a watch or a bracelet that was given just for the sake of a winter holiday, then it’s value becomes lost amongst all of the holiday hullabaloo.
![Social studies teacher Timothy Rodman holds a production factory simulation in his AP Microeconomics class. "Students remember running for class president or the mock congress or the production factory much more so than learning topics like circular flow," Rodman said. "[The simulations make learning] very tangible and real and then students down the road are able to use it."](https://wjpitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/IMG_4420-1200x675.jpg)
