Giving The Gift of Time
Over the years in my work with helping parents simplify spaces in the home, one common question often comes up during the time just after Thanksgiving. “What about gifts?” they ask. “What do I do with all the gifts that are given to us by family and friends? How do I graciously tell my family that, while I appreciate their thoughtfulness in wanting to buy us something, we are trying to simplify our lives?” And the deeper question arises of “how do we teach these values of wanting to consume less to our children?”
These are potent questions indeed and well worth examining. In a world of “peak stuff”, families are discovering the benefits of owning less things and having more time to do the activities they love, such as spending quality time with their kids. One creative solution is “giving the gift of time”. Instead of spending our time shopping and wrapping and giving physical gifts, we can choose to give a consumable gift, the gift of “time well spent”.
A few examples of these include tickets to a theater or music performance or a ball game. One fun thing to do is to get out the colored pencils and craft a personalized coupon and give it to a loved one. Both kids and adults can have fun with this! Some families even have a jar on the kitchen counter, full of coupons that can be redeemed at any time! It can express any meaningful way of spending time, such as a morning walk around the lake and coffee, or time spent throwing the football around or time crafting or doing handwork together. Some people like to give the gift of sharing a skill, such as learning a new baking technique or my personal favorites, giving a reflexology foot rub! Other may like to do a good deed for another, such as helping someone clean out their garage or do some errands for them.
Sometimes grandparents live out of state and want to purchase a gift for their grandchildren who live far away. They may not see them very often and want to have a presence in their lives. Why not give the gift of time? Some suggestions include contributing towards music or sports lessons or a membership to the local art gallery. Then, when they come to visit, grandparents can appreciate the fruits of their contribution by hearing the children play their music or watching them at a soccer game. They know their money went to good use without having to purchase another thing.
Some families forego the tradition of exchanging gifts during the holidays and choose instead to have a few special outings, such as a weekend ski trip or a family trip. As the kids get older, they can participate more in these kinds of family decisions and new family traditions can be created in the place of consuming gifts.
Whatever you choose, the gift is a double bonus, as both the giver and receiver get to enjoy time together. And there is no packaging waste to boot! It is a win win for all. So, next time you find yourself in need to purchasing a gift for someone, consider a long lasting gift that makes a valuable deposit in the bank of relationships-the gift of time.