Gift Giving Alternative To Want, Need, Wear, Read

It was a couple of years back that I first came across the "Want, need, wear, read" gift giving mantra for parents. The idea is a way of simplifying the buying of gifts for kids and it suggests buying them

• Something they want
• Something they need
• Something to wear
• Something to read

I like this concept because for me it's a much needed guideline. I tend to celebrate special occasions with a range of gifts. I buy something then find something that will be so much better and before you know it, I have a pile of gifts. Limiting myself to a smaller number with a purpose is exactly what I need.

However, I did some thinking and decided to modify the "want, need, wear, read"  to better suit my gift-giving style. So I came up with my own little gift buying formula - Body, Mind, Soul and Spirit -  which I practiced for the first time this birthday for the girls. Here's how it worked

• Something for the body: Similar to something to wear, but for future it can also be experiential gifts like a dance class. The twins got Cat in the Hat t-shirts and loved them

• Something for the mind: Something that educates. I got them alphabet flashcards on a keyring - hopefully less messy than individual flash cards. They're doing very well with their numbers so its time to tackle our ABCs. The jury's still out on this one

• Something for the soul: That's similar to something they want. The idea is simply something that comforts their soul and/or makes them giddily happy. They got replacement Sock Monkeys by Schylling (the ones I got from Walmart are already falling apart) and stuffies made by Jellycat. (I'm emphasizing the manufacturers because apparently quality matters when it comes to stuffed toys)

• Something for the spirit: Something that benefits their spiritual life and brings them closer to God. We've started reading our baby bibles at bedtime but I wanted something with more words so I got the Jesus Storybook Bible

The girls immediately fell in love with their Jellycat stuffies. I presented the stuffed animal to each baby separately and sang happy birthday. Spice got hers first. As I turned to start singing to Sugar, she hugged her giraffe really tight, smiled at me and said "thank you mummy". My heart melted. That moment was worth a thousand giraffes.