People like to refer to this time of year as the "Season of Giving." By definition, that means it's also the Season of Receiving. All that giving has to be received otherwise it would be a waste, no?
There is an art to gift-giving. A gift card is an easy way out because the gift-giver is letting himself off the hook. Just give a gift card to the person's favorite store and let them get whatever they want. It takes work to select thoughtful gifts that will be well-received and also used.
For example, a book is a tricky gift. You have to verify that the recipient is in the habit of reading books. A book can be perceived as a homework assignment, one person's idea of a gift that keeps on giving. I don't normally gift a book that I haven't read unless I am certain the subject matter is a bullseye for the person.
Years ago before there were memes, a common meme would have been "batteries not included." There would be nothing worse than receiving a toy that requires batteries and having no batteries. Nowadays, if I give a gift that requires batteries, I will provide rechargeable batteries that are completely dead. The recipient will say, "Hey, these batteries are dead!" I'll say, "Yes, but they are rechargeable."
When I was a kid, I remember receiving the gift of a battery-powered car that I could sit in and drive around. The excitement of receiving the gift on Christmas morning was quickly diminished when I realized that the car was still in the box and had to be put together. Maybe my dad thought part of the gift was the experience of putting it together with me, but to me it was torture. If you're going to give a gift to a kid, make sure it's ready for primetime at the moment of the unveiling.
There is an art to gift-giving. A gift card is an easy way out because the gift-giver is letting himself off the hook. Just give a gift card to the person's favorite store and let them get whatever they want. It takes work to select thoughtful gifts that will be well-received and also used.
For example, a book is a tricky gift. You have to verify that the recipient is in the habit of reading books. A book can be perceived as a homework assignment, one person's idea of a gift that keeps on giving. I don't normally gift a book that I haven't read unless I am certain the subject matter is a bullseye for the person.
Years ago before there were memes, a common meme would have been "batteries not included." There would be nothing worse than receiving a toy that requires batteries and having no batteries. Nowadays, if I give a gift that requires batteries, I will provide rechargeable batteries that are completely dead. The recipient will say, "Hey, these batteries are dead!" I'll say, "Yes, but they are rechargeable."
When I was a kid, I remember receiving the gift of a battery-powered car that I could sit in and drive around. The excitement of receiving the gift on Christmas morning was quickly diminished when I realized that the car was still in the box and had to be put together. Maybe my dad thought part of the gift was the experience of putting it together with me, but to me it was torture. If you're going to give a gift to a kid, make sure it's ready for primetime at the moment of the unveiling.
This is generalizing of course. I think that if you really nail parenting right you can foster that appreciation for slow dopamine within kids.