Alicia Kags

I used to be pretty rigid about birthdays. Honestly, I didn’t want my kids getting gifts at all. I wanted it to be all experiences, no stuff.

Over time, I’ve loosened up. Part of life is giving people physical things, and a gift can be a real way to show someone you love and appreciate them. The thing I care about is the thought behind it.

So this year, the lesson wasn’t about getting. It was about giving. I wanted my oldest to practice putting himself in his brother’s shoes: What does he love? What would make him happy? What would he pick for himself?

That’s empathy, and it’s a skill. Learning to express love by really thinking about someone else is something I want both of my boys to carry with them long after the toys are gone.

How do you handle gifts in your family? I’d love to hear in the comments 💬

Being body slammed for 30 minutes while trying to listen to a history tour was peak overstimulation