Looking for the best gifts for kids on your shopping list? It’s tempting to just check off their list of toys and games with the click of a few buttons. But if you’re like me and many others, it’s common to feel a bit short-changed once all the packages are opened.  I find myself asking: Do these kids understand how much I care for them? Is there anything else I can do to make the gift more meaningful to them? Let’s chat about what makes any gift (big or small) even better.

Your Best Gifts for Kids Start with a Question

Last week, we offered some questions to kickstart a less stressful, more meaningful season of gift-giving. Among them was this one: Will it be my money, effort, or time that makes my gifts as good as they can be? What’s more, once all the packages are ripped open and the surprise of what’s inside has subsided, will that child have felt loved, understood, or cared for with my gift?

I think it’s a fair question, considering how much we put into finding the right gift. Would you agree?

Sprinkle Customized Goodness on Every Gift

Here’s a straightforward, 2-step way to squeeze the most goodness into every package.

STEP 1: KNOW MORE ABOUT WHO YOU’RE GIVING TO.

Our inner designs reveal so much about us. Our core needs, inner drives, and preferences drive us from the inside out. And these things differ according to our inner design and the ways we uniquely express that design. Our design reveals things like the type of gifts we prefer, the ways we receive love, and the ways we build relationships. Know as much as you can about the child to whom you’re giving. If possible, determine the child’s core InnerKinetics^® with this free assessment.

If you don’t feel you can answer the assessment questions with any degree of confidence, consider what you’ve observed of this child:

• Does this child love to show you the brave, gutsy things they can do? Do they favor some risk-taking at play? Do they welcome contests of every sort? You may be giving to an “SP” child.
• Does this child seem more cautious about change in their daily life? Do they like to have the details, make plans, and be in charge of their day? Do they tend to like having responsibilities? Perhaps you’re giving to an “SJ” child.
• Perhaps your gifts are met with immediate curiosity and investigation as your recipient works out exactly how things work. Does the child seem less interested in the emotional excitement unfolding around them and more interested in solving a puzzling question or new discovery? Maybe the child is an “NT.”
• Or maybe the child you’re giving to is the quintessential diplomat. Are they very in tune with how you or others around them are feeling? Do they seem to care more about making others feel loved and included – even if it’s at the expense of their own enjoyment? You just may be giving to an “NF.”

The best way to identify a child’s inner design or InnerKinetics® is by using the assessment link above. However, making your observations and then testing them out with some playful questions is a reliable path to making an educated guess.

STEP 2: SPRINKLE THIS CUSTOMIZED GOODNESS ON EVERY GIFT.

Knowing a child’s inner design reveals one of the most important things about them you can know: how to boost their healthy self-image.  Countless times we’ve talked about the importance of healthy self-image. It affects the health of your choices, so it matters a lot! If you want to make a great gift even better, consider this:

• An SP child’s healthy self-image is built when they are able to make a positive impact on the people around them. As a result, consider how your gift can challenge them to help make everyone’s experience more fun or more entertaining. Dare them to: “Show you how they can use your gift to create fun for everyone involved.” Then watch them light up the room with action.
• Healthy self-image for SJ kids forms when they show themselves responsible, reliable, and useful. Can your gift teach them something they can turn around and teach others? Does it give them the ability to be truly useful during the festivities? Or maybe it allows them to be part of making a plan that increases their family’s ability to enjoy whatever event is unfolding.
• If they’re an NT, their self-image is built as they solve problems and meet goals with determination.  Therefore, you can make a good gift even better by asking them a question that requires investigation. Take your gift and ask, “What do you think will be the best way to use this?” Or “I’ve always wondered how this kind of thing works. And I’d love for you to show me once you’ve figured it out.” Then sit back and watch their natural ingenuity and discovery unfold.
• NF kids build a healthy self-image as they build healthy relationships.  As a result, they want and need to know that your relationship with them matters to you most. It’s so much less about the gift and far more about the meaning behind it. Be sure to tell them why you picked the gift you picked for them. Or how you hope they can share the same feelings about it that you do. Or even better, give them time and experience that allows your relationship with them to grow.

Your Post-Gift Actions Matter Most

To sum up, your best gifts are less about the gift. They’re far more about your action once the gift is opened. Whether you are giving remotely this year, or you have the option of being there in person, the best gifts for kids on your list come with customized sprinkles.

And if you’re looking for great gifts for parents, check out this invaluable resource that serves as an inside look into the inner workings of every child. BEST GIFT EVER!

Grab your copy of “I’m a Keeper” in time for Christmas.