Do children’s party invitation leave you with nightmares over what gift to buy birthday boy or girl? What is the accepted price to pay? How do you know if they are into Barbie or Bratz; Spiderman or Batman; or something completely different?
To make matters worse, parties are a bit like buses; you don’t have any for a while then they all come at once. To help you with your birthday gift traumas, we’ve put together a few tips that should ensure you’ll buy great birthday gifts for kids of all ages - while keeping things simple and stress-free.
1- Involve your children - they will love helping you to choose and wrap the present and write the card. Even very small children usually understand that if they buy a gift for a friend, sibling or relative they can’t keep it - and if they don’t it’s a great way to teach them.
Also, the chances are that if your son or daughter wants to keep the gift, it will be a hit with the birthday child. If you’re children are older, they probably have a good idea what their friends might like anyway, so you’ll have a better chance of buying a good present.
2- Buy craft or educational toys - young children always love crayons, colouring sheets, stickers, play-dough and other ‘creative’ toys. They are also perfect for keeping them busy on a rainy day, so the parents will like them too.
3- Give vouchers or money - it might seem like an easy option but if you have no idea what to buy, book or toy vouchers can be a welcome choice. At least your money will go towards something that the child wants. Alternatively, if you know them well enough, you could take the birthday boy or girl shopping with you and let them choose something they like.
4- Avoid noisy toys for baby and toddlers - although a noisy toy will probably turn into a much-loved favourite, it will quickly drive the parents insane. And don’t forget, if you have children yourself, these parents may well decide to get their revenge on your son or daughter’s birthday.
5- Ask the parents or the child - if you’re planning to buy a more expensive present perhaps for a God-child, niece or nephew, it might be worthwhile asking the parents, or even the child what they want - kids love birthday gifts, so it’s important to get it right.
6- Keep a list of what you buy for whom - if you have a lousy memory this will eliminate the risk of buying duplicate presents in the future... and save you a world of embarrassment too!
Of course the most important thing about birthdays is to remember them - even a belated gift is better than no gift at all!!
Happy gift hunting.
Copyright: Copyright © 2008 Sophie Baxter
About the Author:Sophie Baxter is the Managing Director of http://www.bigfatballoons.co.uk a company devoted to selling balloons, teddy bears, chocolates and cheerful gifts with the 'wow-factor'. On the birth of her baby, Sophie was given an helium filled balloon in a gift box, that made her go 'WOW' and kept both baby and Dad entertained. A few months later, she organised a helium balloon delivery for a friend's 50th birthday which went down so well that Sophie realised that she had stumbled across an idea that made giving and receiving gifts easy, enjoyable and great fun.
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