It’s the thought that counts, yes? Let’s be honest … isn’t this what we say to make ourselves feel better when we’ve opened a poorly judged present? Gifting really doesn’t have to be so hit and miss, even when buying for children and teenagers. Sure, a gift card is universally accepted, but it’s not the same as having a physical gift to tear the wrapping paper off. We want the recipient to shed happy tears, not sad ones. We want to be remembered as gifting the best childhood presents, not the worst. Let’s start by taking a trip down memory lane …
Best childhood gifts
My favourite present
I asked my close friends to tell me about their best (and worst – read on!) gifts that they received as a child. I won’t mention names, as I don’t want to incite family squabbles, so will refer to them by their initial.
My favourite gift as a child was actually a Scalextric car racing set that I received when I was around 10 years old. It was a Christmas present from my brother, the first year he was working/earning. I was such a tomboy yet my parents wouldn’t buy me one, so I was really impressed.
More favourite presents
S’s best gift were some toy cars when she was aged 7-8. The cars attached to a pump … you knelt on it to keep the pump in place and pumped it up and down – then pressed a lever and the car zoomed off. There were two cars, so could have two people play together. Her parents bought this for her.
G’s best present ever was a wood work set when she was 7. “I took to ‘mending’ every chair and every bit of wooden furniture we had. I had a whale of a time, but alas my woodwork set was short lived as it disappeared within days of Christmas. It was the best present ever though.” Her mum bought it for her.
A got an awesome dolls house for Christmas when she was 5. “It was one of those oak leaf ones that had the lights in. Mum and Dad bought it.”
Z has two favourite childhood gifts, for different reasons. “I always wanted a cabbage patch doll, and cried when I got one from my mum.” “A happy/sad gift was my first pair of roller skates that my Nan brought me … She bought them in the September as she had cancer and was dying and knew she wouldn’t make Xmas; she died later that month. We opened them on Christmas Day as our last gift from her …
D’s best present, after lots of nagging as a 7 or 8 year old, was an ‘al la carte’ kitchen in the 80’s. In her words, “I bloody loved it!” It was a birthday present from her mum and dad.
Best present trend?
Naturally, if you really know the child you are buying for you are better placed to get something you know they will like. Parents, siblings, grandparents are the winning gift-givers from my small survey of friends. Now, let’s take a look at our worst-ever childhood gifts …
Worst childhood gifts
No-one wants to be the person who, generations later, is still talked about as buying ‘that awful toy’!
My worst present would have been Christmas 1979, when I was 7. It was a gift from an aunt, who I didn’t see much. I think it was called a ‘Girl’s World’ – a head and shoulders doll that you could add make-up to and style its hair. A dream gift for a lot of girls of that age – but really not me. AT ALL!
Like me, S hated dolls. So, her worst childhood gift was a doll when she around 5 years old. It was about 18 inches tall, made of hard plastic, blonde, and it shuffled along the ground. She received it from a family friend.
G’s worst present was a clown toy when she was round 9 years old. “It had a wooden block inside that would enable it to sit on the shelf upright, legs hanging down. Wherever I went to, it stared at me …” It was gifted to her from a family friend who worked in France.
A just remembers presents of handkerchiefs that were a bit naff. Again, gifts from family friends.
Z’s dad got her a boy’s BMX bike (from a ‘mate’). Now, I’d have loved this, but she absolutely hated it and although wasn’t ungrateful, she still cried over it.
Worst present trend?
Those closest to us – those who know us – are credited for buying us the most memorable childhood presents. However, those who didn’t know us very well ‘guessed’, based on what the average child of that gender and age was ‘into’ (or in some mindsets, ‘should have been into’). All of the above gifts (good and bad) were sent and received in the days before the Internet, so we can’t blame them entirely for lack of research. They didn’t have the knowledge at their fingertips like we do now.
The solution to ‘Good Gifting’
As a parent I often have to make gift purchases for children I don’t really know … friends of my children whose party they will attend, etc. The first thing I always do is ASK THE PARENT (and my own child) what things the birthday child is into. I then research for something a little unusual that meets that theme, guessing that the obvious items would already have been covered. I use websites, like Wicked Uncle, where I can search for unusual (often STEM-themed) gifts based on age, gender and personality type. It really is a last resort for me to buy gift cards, unless that’s what is specifically requested. It’s never been so easy to achieve ‘good gifting’. There’s nothing like the excitement of unwrapping a gift, so long as what’s inside hits the brief!
I’d love to know what your best/worst gifts were as a child. Please let me know in the comments below x
Disclaimer
This is a paid collaboration with Wicked Uncle.
Ah such happy memories. No eBay to re-gift things on those days either