Throughout the year, there are countless opportunities to show our children that we love them through material gifts. There’s Christmas with its bountiful presents, Easter with its eggs and baskets, birthdays with their cakes and balloons, and countless other occasions where physical goods win out in the war for affection. But, the most impactful of gifts are the ones that last a lifetime. They’re the ones that can’t be bought at the store; they are earned through positive parenting.
There are at least three amazing gifts that you can give your child that cost absolutely nothing.
The Gift of Self-Esteem
First of all, one of the most amazing gifts that you can impart to your child is the gift of self-esteem. Though it’s not something that can be wrapped up and cinched with a bow, it’s truly one of the best presents you can give to your kids.
So, how do you give the gift of self-esteem? It starts and ends with letting your kids do things for themselves. It may be easier to cut their meat for them when they’re little, and it may be even easier (and less terrifying) to drive them everywhere when they’re teens. But, in the end, doing all of those things for your kids hurts them more than it helps either of you. When you let them try (and often fail) on their own, you inadvertently—and purposely—give them the gift of self-esteem.
The Gift of Quality Time
Time is money. Time is priceless. Time can be spent. Time can be wasted. But, when you spend quality time with your children, it’s never wasted. You never want for the money you could have earned when you were reading bedtime stories to your kids.
It only stands to reason, then, that one of the greatest gifts you could give your children is the gift of quality time. Though you could technically put a price tag on the time you spend with them, the experiences you’ll both have together are ultimately worth so much more than any wage could measure up to.
Quality time with your kids is worth the world.
The Gift of Imparted Wisdom
Last, but certainly not least, the gift of imparted wisdom is the ultimate gift that we all give our kids—whether we realize it or not. The wisdom that we place along are not always intentionally imparted, but all the same, just the way our parents taught us about the basic truths of life, so we teach our kids how to be better people.
In the end, we grace our kids with the best (free) gift of all: how to live a value-centered, meaningful life. We hope that they continue that tradition and leave their children with even greater wisdom than we could impart, and in that, we aim to make the world a better and better place with each generation.
