Gift Giving Guide For Every Stage

The holidays are quickly approaching, and if you are anything like me, you have been stressing many aspects of that for a while, but now have to make a plan. I make things easy on everyone and keep an ever changing Amazon wish list for every member of my household. I browse when I have time and add things they need and work with them to add things too. Then, when it is close to their birthdays or a family member asks for a Christmas list I have it on hand and they can order quickly and easily things that my kids actually want or need and that I want them to have. Rarely do we get obnoxious gifts that are not age appropriate or things we allow in our home, because those friends and family members that respect us use the list. Sometimes they like to get something else, but they still use the list as a guide. Pro tip: Make sure that you have a range of price points to fit any budget and have fun and practical gifts to fit anyone’s idea of what a gift should be. I have one family member that will not buy clothes for my kids because she wants to get them fun gifts, but I have one who only likes to buy them clothes because she knows they are a need.

Here is a breakdown by stage to help with gift buying for those that may be stuck on what is appropriate or popular this year.

Newborn

If you have family and friends with a new baby, please do not buy toys and clothes that you think are cute unless the parents have ASKED for those things specifically. Babies have very few needs and most parents have their own styles and wants when it comes to the clothes and items their babies use. Every baby is different and even if the box says it is good for a three month old, that baby may not be ready for that type of toy. Parents almost always also have preferred brands so ASK what they use and gift what they NEED to make things easier, not what YOU want to give. Baby will not remember their first few holidays, but those family members and friends will remember who took their actual needs into account. I am not saying only buy the necessities, but some wipes or a pack of diapers in addition to that cute onesie sure would be appreciated.

Things to buy age 0-18 months: DIAPERS, WIPES, BABY UTENSILS, BABY FOOD/CEREAL, BACKUP PACIFIERS, REQUESTED TOYS/CLOTHES

Toddler

Toddlers are another age group that you should ALWAYS get guidance for from the parents. Getting a learning puppy is great, until Grandma gifts them their third one this year. Some children are entering a new stage of mobility, toilet training, and speech development in these years. My personal recommendations from my mom experiences at this age take all of this into account.

Things to buy age 18mo-3years: DIAPERS, WIPES, LEARNING TOYS (V-TECH AND LEAPFROG ESPECIALLY), INDOOR WOODEN CLIMBING TOYS, PRETEND PLAY SETS (KITCHEN), BALLS (ESPECIALLY THE BIG ONES), NEXT SIZE UP CLOTHES

Kids

When children are between three and four years old they are generally able to articulate what they want. The trickiest parts of this for gift giving are that often those desires are not age appropriate, can be expensive because kids have no concept of money, and “kid” is a large age group with even the same age children not being the same developmentally. Many things should be considered when choosing gifts for kids. For example, I have two nephews and a daughter all three months apart, but all six years old. Nephew 1 has had a phone and switch lite for almost a year and will sit and play quietly for hours, Nephew 2 can not be responsible for even non-fragile toys and has the attention span of a gnat, so electronics are not the best gift for him, my daughter is somewhere in the middle received her first handheld gaming system last year with games approved by us with limited screen time. ALL children are different even at the same ages! ASK THEIR PARENTS! In general, kids between these ages are pretty easy to buy for if you know them. They are developing their interests and have favorite shows, colors, and types of toys.

Things to buy age 4-10years: FAVORITE CHARACTER SPECIFIC TOYS/GAMES/BOOKS (This year’s favorites are K-Pop Demon Hunters, Disney’s Zombies, Fortnite, Bluey, and Wicked for many kids if unsure.), NERF GUNS are always a hit (no pun intended), CURRENT CONSOLE GAMES (age appropriate), ANY CREATIVE OR CRAFTING KITS (POTTERY, BEADS, SLIME), LEGOS

Tweens and Teens

This stage is by far the hardest to buy for. This is the age where it is easy to get into a rut of purchases that are all in the same theme that a child once loved and will grow to resent because it is all people ever gift them. Example, when my sister and I were younger and hit these years, the simple comments of loving the vanilla scent for myself and her love of penguins caused many years of only getting bath kits for myself in that one scent and all things penguin themed that anyone could find for her. Here we are twenty years later and my poor sister still gets and has more penguin merchandise than a holiday store. We encountered this same problem when all my middle boy would tell people was Legos, he now has a literal storage tote full of any Lego piece you could need in your creative building endeavors. The problem? He is a boy with ADHD who can not and does not only sit and play Legos all day and night. Sometimes at this age you have to use their likes and dislikes to find things that you know they would like or could use. You have to get a little more creative. Does your child like making music or doodling? Maybe they would be interested in learning a new instrument or to receive a how to book on drawing creatures they think are cool. Do they sit in their room all day just listening to music? Maybe they need some new headphones or a subscription to the streaming service they like without ads. My suggestions will be pretty general, but knowing the child you are buying for makes all the difference. Do not knock the gift card at this age. These kids generally like the freedom to go to their favorite stores and find items they truly fall in love with and want.

Things to buy age 11-17years: EARBUDS, CURRENT CONSOLE GAMES, GIFT CARDS (VISA, GAMESTOP, CLOTHING STORES, NINTENDO ESHOP OR PS STORE), HOBBY TOOLS/ACCESSORIES

ADULT CHILDREN

This one is fairly new to me. I am an adult child and I know what I would want and would have liked when I was just starting out, but every person is different. We have a child who we would like to get certain things, but his living situation is fluid. I also have a brother who is about to be twenty-one and lives with roommates, his needs are very different. At this age, gifts are nice and appreciated, but needs and wants vary greatly by what stage of adulthood they are in.

Things to buy age 18+: HOBBY TOOLS/ACCESSORIES, HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES, GIFT CARDS (VISA, GROCERY, HOBBY SPECIFIC), TICKETS (SHOWS, PARKS, MOVIES, TRIPS), PAY A BILL

As I have said before, I am no expert, but these suggestions come from years of being an oldest sister, aunt, and mother to kids in every one of these stages. My one bit of advice is just to remember that if you are gifting what you want them to have versus what they have asked for or need, it probably isn’t for them but for yourself. Not consulting the parent of any child you are buying for is a form of disrespect and can cause resentment. If nothing else, making sure that no one is getting the child a duplicate gift just makes good sense.