Take the time to give a more thoughtful gift this Christmas.

Take the time to give a more thoughtful gift this Christmas.

Rumour has it that 93 per cent of parents have concerns about their friends and family spending a lot of money on them, when in fact 50 per cent said they would prefer to get nothing at all rather than get their loved ones into debt.

A lot of the time buying presents can seem like a chore if you’re not yet feeling the Christmas spirit so here’s a list of the most appreciated gifts that you can buy for those important people in your life. Remember it’s the thought that counts.

So what can you buy that they’re going to appreciate without breaking the bank? Here’s is the list of top 10 things parents would like to receive from friends or family:

  1. 1. To be taken out for a meal
  2. 2. A small but thoughtful token of a friendship or relationship
  3. 3. To be cooked a homemade meal
  4. 4. A big hug
  5. 5. A card which included personal heartfelt words
  6. 6. Something homemade
  7. 7. For time to be set aside to catch up over a coffee for a good old chat
  8. 8. Have someone offer to do the washing up or cleaning
  9. 9. To run a bubble bath to relax in with a good book
  10. 10. Have a long catch up reminiscing over old photos


Emma Read from Forever Friends said: “It’s interesting that we found people would rather receive something that was heartfelt and personal. It’s not about the price of the gift; in fact it seems as a nation we are quite worried about family and friends spending too much on us.”

So when you’re mum or dad tells you they don’t want anything they probably mean it. But you can get them something a little more sentimental than usual. They might be harder to think of but they’re usually much cheaper!

She added: “When we asked parents what the most thoughtful gift was they had ever received, there were very few people said the ‘big’ things like jewellery. For most people it was something handmade by a child, closely followed by a gift that recalled a shared moment or experience – it was things like photos, personalised presents, and even joke gifts that represented a funny memory shared between the giver and the recipient. So maybe this Christmas we should spend a bit less cash and a bit more time on pledging our feelings!”

Here is the list that parent created ordering the importance of the best gifts they have ever received, highlighting that the little things are usually the most important:

  1. 1. A homemade gift from a child (examples included knitted scarves, knitted blankets, decorated boxes and even a handmade frog!)
  2. 2. A gift that recalled a treasured moment/experience
  3. 3. A hand crafted card
  4. 4. A homemade gift from an adult (photo montages were one of the most popular)
  5. 5. Something big and flashy (diamond watches and cars were widely appreciated)

So if you’re stuck for something to get for either of your parents, we’re hoping this list can provide a few ideas. Happy shopping!

Jessica Lindley - Female First

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