One Size Doesn’t Fit All When It Comes to My Angel’s Christmas List
Finding the right gift for an Angel can be tough. However, when I decided to let go of old expectations, I was able to craft the perfect Christmas list for my 11-year-old Angel, Juliana.
When Juliana was younger, I was all over the place when choosing gifts for her. Then I received a link to a post by a special needs blogger who touted the perfect gift list for Angels. I thought my search was over.
I couldn’t follow that link fast enough. But when I got to the post, I discovered more links to only sensory toys. Many of the gift ideas weren’t new to me or practical for Juliana. However, that blog post really got me thinking about what I was trying to accomplish.
Saying goodbye to guilt gifting
I wanted to make sure that Juliana had a ton of options for toys, just like her younger sister, Jessa. Because Angels don’t have strong fine motor skills, a typical toy might be difficult to play with or manipulate the way it was intended. I could buy regular toys, as I have in the past, but that doesn’t mean Juliana will play with them. Or that the toys will survive her rough play sessions.
One Christmas, I bought Juliana a musical toy she really enjoyed. But she banged it so much that it didn’t last but a few hours. When I mentioned the scenario to one of her therapists, she suggested I rent adaptive toys from Lekotek, a local play and therapy center.
I am impressed with Lekotek and its mission to bring adaptive play and other activities to children with disabilities. However, we have yet to visit. I have also stopped scouring websites and stores for the perfect toys for Juliana.
Why? Because I now realize Juliana couldn’t care less about most toys. She has come to enjoy our simple Christmas Day tradition, and it’s not about her having a ton of presents under the tree.
Juliana enjoys a beach ball, a homemade shaker, and her favorite doll on Christmas morning in 2018. (Photo by Sabrina L. Johnson)
All she wants for Christmas
So, for the past several years, Juliana has had a unique version of a favorite things list for Christmas. Her list includes a stuffed ladybug doll that makes a rattle noise and lots of beach balls. I also add on a few clothing items and some other small favorites for her stocking.
The pressure to find the perfect gifts and make Christmas magical is a fallacy. Giving my Angel time with her favorite people and her favorite things is more than enough to make her Christmas morning merry and bright.
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