Terrible Christmas Gifts for Kids Under 12 Years Old

Children look forward to Christmas full of anticipation of getting toys and games. One of the worst things you can do is get a gift for a child under the age of 12 just for the sake of giving a gift. You will not only experience the biggest disappointment a child can show but you will feel the brunt of their emotions. I know all about that disappointment because not only have I experienced as a child but I have seen it done to my own daughter by well meaning relatives.

Christmas morning, when I was six years old, my father told me that Santa had left a gift for me in his bedroom by mistake. I wanted a puppy so badly that year that I ran up the stairs so fast I almost slipped and fell down them. I was hoping to see that puppy. I was so disappointed when my dad removed a sheet to reveal a huge accordion. It was obvious that the gift was not for me but something that my dad got for himself. I was too small to even try and play the thing. I will always remember the disappointment I felt that Christmas morning by the promise of a gift that was not really mine. That made for one of the worst gifts I was ever promised. Make note to self, don't buy a gift for your child and in reality it is for yourself.

The next time I saw a child react badly to a Christmas gift was when my 4 years old. She was given a baby doll by an aunt. My daughter had never been one to like dolls and in fact didn't like them at all. After opening the gift and taking out the doll she tipped it so it said "ma-ma". That scared her so bad that she threw the doll across the room in fear and anger. Her aunt tried to convince her for the rest of the day that the doll was ok and she should play with it. She never did play with it and if I put it in her room she would toss it out. Several years later the doll found a home with Goodwill after spending the years with us tucked away in a closet. Another note to self, don't buy a toy that the child does not like or hates.

As children get older they get pickier about what they want to wear. At the age of 8 my daughter started to get fashion conscious. That Christmas another one of her aunts bought her lots of clothes. After opening all the gifts she plainly asked her aunt if she had to wear those clothes. When her aunt asked her why she asked that, my daughter replied, "I hate those clothes". Her aunt then took me aside and gave me the receipt for the items so I could exchange them for something my daughter would like. Her aunt never bought my daughter any clothes as a gift after that. Clothes in general make great gifts from an adults perspective but as a child that receives them they are only seen as a cop out for a "real" gift. Giving a gift of clothes to a child is in reality not a good idea.

Lastly giving a gift of a live pet to a young child whose parents don't have any knowledge about the pet is a terrible gift. I made the mistake of giving 2 goldfish with a complete tank set up to my nephew as a Christmas gift when he was 5 years old. I gave his mother basic instructions and I told her to give me a call should she need any help with the care of the fish. My nephew loved the gift as now he had his first real pet. About 2 months later I found out from my mother that I should check on the goldfish that I gave my nephew. My mother had noticed that they were swimming funny. I went over to check on the fish and found them without fins! They had contracted fin rot. I had treatment for the condition but the poor fish were so far gone there was nothing that could be done. My nephew's mother had no clue that there was anything wrong as she never really looked at the fish. Last note to self, never give a live animal as a gift unless you are willing to do daily checks on the animal for at least several months or more.

Hopefully you have learned a little from my experiences and try not to give a child a terrible Christmas gift this year.