“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” – Kahlil Gibran
I have countless holiday memories. Most of them center around faith, family, and traditions.
Very few childhood memories actually include the gifts I received. I distinctly remember the year that I got a blue dirt bike, the evening my brother and I received a Nintendo, and opening socks every year from my grandparents. But other than that, my gift-receiving memories are pretty sparse. Which got me thinking… what type of gifts can we give to our children that they will never forget? What gifts will truly impact their lives and change them forever?
To that end, here is an alphabetical list of 35 Gifts Your Children Will Never Forget.
- Affirmation. Sometimes one simple word of affirmation can change an entire life. So make sure your children know how much you appreciate them. And then, remind them every chance you get.
- Art. With the advent of the Internet, everyone who wants to create… can. The world just needs more people who want to…
- Challenge. Encourage your child to dream big dreams. In turn, they will accomplish more than they thought possible… and probably even more than you thought possible.
- Compassion/Justice. Life isn’t fair. It never will be – there are just too many variables. But when a wrong has been committed or a playing field can be leveled, I want my child to be active in helping to level it.
- Contentment. The need for more is contagious. Therefore, one of the greatest gifts you can give your children is an appreciation for being content with what they have… but not with who they are.
- Curiosity. Teach your children to ask questions about who, what, where, how, why, and why not. “Stop asking so many questions” are words that should never leave a parents’ mouth.
- Determination. One of the greatest determining factors in one’s success is the size of their will. How can you help grow your child’s today?
- Discipline. Children need to learn everything from the ground-up including appropriate behaviors, how to get along with others, how to get results, and how to achieve their dreams. Discipline should not be avoided or withheld. Instead, it should be consistent and positive.
- Encouragement. Words are powerful. They can create or they can destroy. The simple words that you choose to speak today can offer encouragement and positive thoughts to another child. Or your words can send them further into despair. So choose them carefully.
- Faithfulness to your Spouse. Faithfulness in marriage includes more than just our bodies. It also includes our eyes, mind, heart, and soul. Guard your sexuality daily and devote it entirely to your spouse. Your children will absolutely take notice.
- Finding Beauty. Help your children find beauty in everything they see… and in everyone they meet.
- Generosity. Teach your children to be generous with your stuff so that they will become generous with theirs.
- Honesty/Integrity. Children who learn the value and importance of honesty at a young age have a far greater opportunity to become honest adults. And honest adults who deal truthfully with others tend to feel better about themselves, enjoy their lives more, and sleep better at night.
- Hope. Hope is knowing and believing that things will get better and improve. It creates strength, endurance, and resolve. And in the desperately difficult times of life, it calls us to press onward.
- Hugs and Kisses. I once heard the story of a man who told his 7-year old son that he had grown too old for kisses. I tear up every time I think of it. Know that your children are never too old to receive physical affirmation of your love for them.
- Imagination. If we’ve learned anything over the past 20 years, it’s that life is changing faster and faster with every passing day. The world tomorrow looks nothing like the world today. And the people with imagination are the ones not just living it, they are creating it.
- Intentionality. I believe strongly in intentional living and intentional parenting. Slow down, consider who you are, where you are going, and how to get there. And do the same for each of your children.
- Your Lap. It’s the best place in the entire world for a book, story, or conversation. And it’s been right in front of you the whole time.
- Lifelong Learning. A passion for learning is different from just studying to earn a grade or please teachers. It begins in the home. So read, ask questions, analyze, and expose. In other words, learn to love learning yourself.
- Love. …but the greatest of these is love.
- Meals Together. Meals provide unparalleled opportunity for relationship, the likes of which can not be found anywhere else. So much so, that a family that does not eat together does not grow together.
- Nature. Children who learn to appreciate the world around them take care of the world around them. As a parent, I am frequently asking my kids to keep their rooms inside the house neat, clean, and orderly. Shouldn’t we also be teaching them to keep their world outside neat, clean, and orderly?
- Opportunity. Kids need opportunities to experience new things so they can find out what they enjoy and what they are good at. And contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t have to require much money.
- Optimism. Pessimists don’t change the world. Optimists do.
- Peace. On a worldwide scale, you may think this is out of our hands. But in relation to the people around you, this is completely within your hands… and that’s a darn good place to start.
- Pride. Celebrate the little things in life. After all, it is the little accomplishments in life that become the big accomplishments.
- Room to Make mistakes. Kids are kids. That’s what makes them so much fun… and so desperately in need of your patience. Give them room to experiment, explore, and make mistakes.
- Self-Esteem. People who learn to value themselves are more likely to have self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. As a result, they are more likely to become adults who respect their values and stick to them… even when no one else is.
- Sense of Humor. Laugh with your children everyday… for your sake and theirs.
- Spirituality. Faith elevates our view of the universe, our world, and our lives. We would be wise to instill into our kids that they are more than just flesh and blood taking up space. They are also made of mind, heart, soul, and will. And decisions in their life should be based on more than just what everyone else with flesh and blood is doing.
- Stability. A stable home becomes the foundation on which children build the rest of their lives. They need to know their place in the family, who they can trust, and who is going to be there for them. Don’t keep changing those things.
- Time. The gift of time is the one gift you can never get back or take back. So think carefully about who (or what) is getting yours.
- Undivided Attention. Maybe this imagery will be helpful: Disconnect to Connect.
- Uniqueness. What makes us different is what makes us special. Uniqueness should not be hidden. It should be proudly displayed for all the world to see, appreciate, and enjoy.
- A Welcoming Home. To know that you can always come home is among the sweetest and most life-giving assurances in all the world. Is your home breathing life into your child?
Of course, none of these gifts are on sale at your local department store. But, I think that’s the point.
{ 90 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
I am a teenager with a mother that would like me to be more clean and a father who thinks I am not living up to their expectations. I think these are all good points, however, you seemed to have missed one that feels extra important to both my sister and I is privacy. We like to be alone and do things on our own. We need to have time to make mistakes, like you said, without our parents standing over us to help us pick up the pieces. Teenagers, starting at the ripe, old age of thirteen, need privacy.
Agree Lexi. But you could have the other reality of having parents that don’t give a darn about you. Don’t care if you are home on time, don’t care if you even come home. Don’t know anything about you, like when your birthday is, etc. Consider you nothing but a burden. Have parents like that for awhile and you maybe can see that it is nice to have parents that care.
How wonderful if we knew perfection on bringing up children in getting it all correct…hmmm every generation tries and tries again….but still blames the one before….until….you have been there n done that.
I thank you for the heads up and refresher course.
Beautiful peaceful post!
i dont know what i would like for christmas the only thing i want is an i pod i cant think of any thing else i would like for christma by the way my real name isnt mayra its ALEXIS OLVERA
Obvious although I suppose often forgotten in the speed of modern life.
Could have done without the nonsensical religious aspects, but the fundamentals remain valid.
What was religious about this post???
36. A Megazore action figure with REAL SHOOTING GUN ACTION.
Love it but your link to “Disconnect…” is, well, disconnected.
“The YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated due to multiple third-party notifications of copyright infringement.”
Thanks Julie. Got it fixed.
Hi,
This post is beautiful! May I reprint it on my site in a blog for parents of children 3-7? If yes,I will give you full credit and include a live link to your site.
My website is http://www.candostreet.com
Best,
Jean Campbell
Just now read and shared this with our kids….GOOD POINTS to know and remember as we head into the holiDAZE. This is also good to know throughout the year. Thank you!
This is such a great list. I have so many holiday memories and you’re absolutely right, most of them aren’t about the gifts I received. Thanks for a wonderful post.
Dear Naomi,I learn SO much from your posts and I love this one.In particular your qusotiens for consideration at the end really struck a chord and I will be printing them and pondering them as I review my role in this New Year.Blessings and a big hug,Felicity x
How very, very true. This goes for all children regardless of age, but the younger they are, the better. There are just some things money can’t buy, especially love, a warm and loving home, a strong feeling of self-worth, good memories and everything else listed here. As far as memories are concerned, I don’t remember most of the Christmas gifts I had received as a child, but I have a strong recall of the wonderful memories I shared with my family and the happiness I felt back then. Things break or fall apart, but the good memories remain.
Do you really think we should NOT teach our kids to be content with who they are? I would think that our kids should be happy with their abilities, strengths, body image etc.
Thank you for this, at this time of year I think we all need a little reminding of what is really important. To your teenage reader Lexi, I think the word you are looking for is Respect. We all need this, crave it, desire this. Your parents should Respect the space you need and you should Respect the fact that your parents should always be involved because they love you.
Merry Christmas
I found your site through a link to this post on Pinterest. It’s wonderful. By chance, is there a printer-friendly version of this post? I’d love to make a copy for my husband and have one to refer to/re-read from time to time. Thanks so much!
excellent article. . im new to motherhood and im always open to learn more and more about parenting. thank you for this
Wonderful. All. Of. It. Thank you! The gifts we give our children are not always tangible. The ones above have lasting impact. They are not “Made in China” ;) They are made in our own homes.
This is so beautiful. Thank you for the article and the WAY :)
← Previous Comments
{ 49 trackbacks }