In “8 Golden Rules of Christmas Gift Giving” we mentioned that outstanding Christmas gifts should demonstrate that you know the receiver’s preferences very well and surprise him at the same time.
Additionally, the economic and emotional value of your present should correlate. I.e., your mother should always get a greater gift than your uncle.
Although mothers don’t demand anything in return for taking care of their children, Christmas is a great time for you to tell your mom how much you love and appreciate her.
When looking for that superb gift, think about what it is your mother loves to do when she doesn’t have to do anything.
It might seem easy to buy her a new tool for kitchen, but ask yourself whether cooking is something your mom really enjoys, or maybe preparing food is no more than a home routine for her.
A coffee maker is a great gift, but only if your mother is a coffee fan. Purely practical presents don’t bring much joy. Iron as a present might be a good choice in case you heard your mother speaking about a particular brand or a type of irons that does some special magic. Think, was it something she couldn’t stop talking about or was it just a casual “That’s probably useful…” remark.
For your present to be unforgettable it has to have an element of ‘impulse buy’. Find an item that your mother would love to have, but she isn’t sure it is a rational purchase.
Another question to ask: what are my mother’s hobbies? Remember, it doesn’t matter how much you hate it that your mom dedicates her spare time to watching “Grey’s Anatomy”. If these TV series make her happy, don’t hesitate to buy a full collection of DVDs for her. Your main task is to show your mother that you know her well and appreciate her enough to find the gift she will truly like.
If you know your mom adores gardening, but you personally don’t have a clue about what rakes to use to get rid of autumn leaves, you can always buy a gift card to her favorite gardening store.
Don’t get your mom day in a spa certificate only because you would love a present like this. First consider whether your mother will actually enjoy having the treatments. Many older women prefer to spend a day reading a new book in their cozy chair as opposed to visiting a beauty salon where they might simply feel shy and out of place.
Although one of the general gift giving recommendations says that children should not give more expensive presents to parents than parents give to children, some rules can be broken from time to time. If you know your parents had a rough time this year, you might want to please them with a nice travel getaway package. Again, for such present to be appreciated, you have to be sure that they (not you!) love to travel.
By the way, don’t forget that when you buy gifts for your mother-in-law you should treat her as you treat your mother.
And here is another Christmas gift giving etiquette recommendation you sometimes would want to ignore – money is a suitable present from senior to junior kin; not vice versa. There are times, when money is the best gift you can give. Let’s say your parents are engaged in a big house redecoration. That is a project that often requires more money than was planned essentially. If you know your mother struggles to finish refurbishing her kitchen, get her a nice looking envelope with a Christmas greeting card and money enclosed.
See more Christmas Gift for Mom ideas at Pinterest.
Do you have questions about Christmas Gifts for Mom or you think we forgot to mention something important? Come talk to us! Leave your comment below!
[…] you know from “How to choose an outstanding gift for mom“, any great gift has to have an element of surprise whilst clearly demonstrate that you know […]