HOLIDAY GIFT- GIVING WORST IDEAS

Just because Christmas and other holidays are a time for giving, it doesn’t mean you should just give anything away as a gift or have to break the bank. Most of us agonize when selecting holiday gifts for friends and family. We browse or shop for months, in search for the perfect gifts. And we still manage to find the absolute worst gifts, ever.
Please friends, a gift should make the recipient happy — or at least not sad or angry. It’s a good time to remember that gifts are a powerful form of communication and you should always ask yourself what messages you are sending out by the gifts you’ve picked.

I mean, if the saying ‘it’s the thought that counts’, sometimes you have to wonder – What were they thinking? Is this how much I matter to them? Or ‘Is this how they see me.’

Gifts can enhance connections between people and a truly bad gift, can ruin a relationship, with such an emotional impact that is remembered for decades. I bet some of us have been the recipients of some really bad gifts that has left us wondering why the gifter would ever think it would be something we’d want, need, or even like in a million years and we still remember the gift and how we felt then, till now.

So, to help you out, we’ve put together a list of what not to buy your friends, family, and loved ones this season.

• The Gift of Art

 

 

Unless someone has specifically requested a particular piece of art, it is best to not assume you know his or her taste.

 

• A Framed picture of yourself

Loving yourself is important, but sending framed pictures of yourself is an odd gift. A better option would be to incorporate a photograph of yourself with the holiday card. This means they don’t need to add on a new room to the house just to display your pictures.

 

 

• Regifting Gaffes

Before you even think of wrapping up that awful present you’ve had hidden away, make sure you are not giving it back to the person that gave you (even if you really want to) or give someone that might know who it came from.

Unless it’s a family heirloom, most people feel belittled by a regift. Sometimes the gift itself is great, but what hurts is the knowledge that it wasn’t chosen especially for them. Or that little to no thought at all was put into the gift (and we have all been guilty of this at one point in time).            

• Thoughtless Gifts

Rule Number 1: First think about the type of person your friend/family or loved one is, consider their particularities and then try to find a gift to match. Not get the tons of discounted gifts, then try and match to friends you think might like them.

 

 

• A gift of expert advice to an Expert

 

Some people know a lot about a particular topic. They may excel in a sport, pride themselves on their deep knowledge of wine, arts or they could be an expert tailor. Buying an expert-related gift is chancy because they probably already own it, already know it, or really do not need it. 

 

 

• Worthless Gadget Gifts

There are a million worthless gadgets out there that you may be tempted into believing will make the perfect gift for someone on your list who has no hobbies, no particular talents and who doesn’t seem to need a thing. No doubt, such an individual is hard to buy for; find out what they like and not assume or go generic.

 

 

• The ‘Good-Intentions’ Gifts

What you think might be filled with good intentions could ignite deep resentments. Gifts which target a specific shortcoming are generally not appreciated. Gaffes most often occur when the giver experiences a momentary deficiency of empathy. They weren’t thinking from the point of view of the recipient, but their own. This sort of mistake is easy to make during the rush and stress of the holidays.

  Such gifts could include:

• A book or CD on how to lose weight to an overweight person.
• Coaching tapes on how to be successful to someone who is unemployed or in a dead-end job.
• A book on how to be a good wife to someone having marital issues.

• Gifts with a message

Unless the person you are buying for is under the age of 16, chances are your wordy gift will end up as a dust rag. Even if after reading this, you still get an impulse to buy one, think about it for 3weeks and if the urge is still there, keep thinking until the urge is gone. 

 

 

• The Passive-Aggressive Gift

Passive aggression is hostility wrapped in soft bunting. It is a special breed of the Statement Gift, and when it is handed over, it is in effect a weapon meant to deliver blows to the recipient’s ego. It’s the season of peace, joy and happiness, let go of hostilities and pettiness and be a model Santa and not the Grinch.

 

 

• The Non-Gift

  

  In households with shared finances, if it was something you would have purchased anyway, it doesn’t count as a gift. Socks, frying pans, and hair brushes have all achieved the “worst gift” designation by everyone who has been at the receiving end. The worst in this category are major purchases that were made without input from the recipient and laced with a touch of the “all about me” gift.

   

   

  
  
  • The Statement Gift

  

   

  Statement gifts, typically offer disapproval or some kind of judgmental commentary aimed at the recipient.  While gifts are intended to communicate a message of some sort, the story is normally one of affection and caring.

  The best kinds of gifts are subtle and personal with a hint of thoughtfulness.  Make sure your gifts elicit squeals of delight, not a tight-lipped grimace trying to pass for a smile.

  Happy Holidays!