The pressure of finding something that kids would love is something every parent has to endure during the holidays. The fact that kids are not politically correct, makes buying gifts for them all the more challenge. While we adults are masters of hiding our feelings when we receive something like a cheap punchbowl, kids announce their discontent with an honest bout of crying and tantrums. Who can blame them? Children visualize the moment of unpacking their Christmas presents all year long. Gift cards can bridge the gap between a child’s expectation and what parents think is a good gift. Following are 5 practical reasons why buying a plastic gift card for kids is not particularly a bad idea.
They Are Great Gifts: The notion that gift cards are impersonal and generally “bad gifts” is false, to say the least. It’s only true when you pick up a random grocery store gift card at the last moment. When thoughtfully selected to match the preferences of your child, gift cards can be awesome. Imagine giving your child a toy store gift card that will allow him or her to buy the latest Xbox.
The Child Gets the Freedom to Choose: Kids change their minds about things faster than you can keep up. One moment they love action figures and everything about them and then they are suddenly fond of console gaming. When you buy a toy store gift card, you take the guesswork out of the picture. This move allows kids to pick up exactly what they want without you having to confusingly browse the store aisles.
It Can Teach Them the Value of Staying Within Budget: A great thing about gift cards is that they come with a pre-filled value. When giving the gift cards make sure you explain your children that they cannot exceed the budget. Being given a “big” responsibility and a card that looks like a credit card, kids feel empowered. This encourages them to stay within budget when redeeming the gift card at the store. Some kids even choose to collect several gift cards to redeem them at once to buy something expensive. That’s pretty much the core of financial management.
Prevents Wasting Money on Buying Things Kids Don’t Want: As mentioned earlier, there is a pretty big risk of getting the gift wrong. Unless your kid specifically asks you to get a particular item, you are really shooting in the dark here. Considering that you really don’t want the trouble of exchanging gifts or settle for a disappointed child, gift cards prevent you from wasting your money. Just make sure the gift card is for a toy store, not a garment retailer (unless your kid is into fashion).
Saving Time and Effort: Christmas shopping is not for the faint of heart. The shopping frenzy is further fuelled by discounts and deals. Gift cards, on the other hand, can be bought online. This means no elbowing a fellow shopper to get your hands on a particular action figure.