10 Gift Giving Mistakes
You're so sure they'll absolutely LOVE their present... but wait. That look on disappointment on their face, hidden ever so politely. If you find yourself caught in this situation, you've likely made one or more of the following mistakes:
1. You picked out something you would love. The key word here is "you." Not the recipient. When picking out a gift, be sure to keep the recipient's likes and dislikes in mind - if you prefer milk chocolate and they prefer dark, go with dark. And I don't care if their favorite color reminds you of a dirty diaper, don't go for the color YOU would like. Go for what you know THEY will LOVE.
2. Wrong size! This happens too often - and really, should we be expected to know all of our friends' pants size? If you don't know what size to buy, skip it or save the reciept so they can exchange it for a size that suits them better.
3. They already have it. Oops! Once again, saving the reciept will cure this one in a heartbeat. Let them exchange it for something they don't already have.
4. They flat-out HATE it. All the kids love Miley Cyrus nowadays, right? Don't be so sure. Unless you know that the CD or book is by an artist/author they like, it might be safer to skip it. If you don't know what they are into, check with family and friends for ideas.
5. They're allergic. Food items are risky. Sometimes an allergy is a little less predictable, like an allergy to the nickel found in the buttons on most jeans. Before shopping for someone, ask them, "I'm trying to think of a really great gift for you, but I don't want you to get sick. Are you allergic to anything?" Nobody wants to spend Christmas in the hospital!
6. You didn't put any thought into it - and it shows. A greeting card or a gift card, in most cases, scream "I forgot about you until the last minute, and this was all I had time for." This doesn't exactly inspire fuzzy feelings of gratitude.
7. It's out of date. If you think tape players are still in style....you're wrong. These are only nostalgic for those who had them when they came out - and they won't be cool again until they're old enough to be considered "retro." Last season's jeans, last decade's technology.... it may be less expensive, but it's definitely not worth it.
8. You obviously spent way more on them than they did on you, or vice-versa. This is always a little awkward - one of you feels like you didn't give enough, the other feels like you went a little overboard. This can be avoided ahead of time by agreeing on a spending limit. Or, if it's too late for that, you can lighten the mood by saying something like, "This is to make up for that time I forgot your birthday!" or "Treat me to some cocoa, and we'll call it even!" If you're the one left feeling cheap, offer to take them out to dinner or do some other fun activity together as "Part Two" of their gift.
9. You spent a lot of time picking out their present...and they didn't get you anything. Either they didn't know you were getting them a gift, or they forgot. You can lighten the mood by joking, "You can make it up to me next year!" or by putting a twist on any of the suggested phrases in #8. Let them know somehow that you were looking to give, not to get. That's what Christmas is all about!
10. Christmas was three months ago. Late gifts are only acceptable within a few weeks of the actual date. If Christmas is long gone, it's better to just let it go and make it up to them next year.
