Gift-wrapping was my first job as a teen… so as I’ve started teaching my son how to gift-wrap, I’ve had to dig down deep and let it go (sorry for getting that stuck in your head). As much as I want packages to be pretty and perfect, I realized I wasn’t doing my son any favors by doing all of this for him. I wanted to teach him the real meaning behind gift giving – gratitude, joy, and a cheerful heart. Teaching him how to RSVP, pick out a gift, wrap it and be a gracious guest has been WAY more fun than me wrapping the picture perfect package!
If you’re up for the challenge, we’ve laid out the process to get the party started.
RSVP
When an invitation arrives, share it with your kiddo. Look at your calendar together and determine if they’re able to attend. If they are, let them take care of the RSVP. Teaching them early on about the importance of the RSVP process will go along way in creating a good habit to carry on after they’ve left home.
The Gift
Next, give them a budget and let them pick out the gift. Budget… hello, I still need help with budgeting, so I’m trying to get him thinking about how much money can be spent for special occasions and gifts. This is also a great exercise in focusing on others – it takes a few times, but eventually they realize, ‘no’ they’re not getting something for themselves, they’re choosing a present for someone else. This is the gift of learning that it’s not always about them.
It’s a Wrap
Now whip out the wrapping supplies and teach them to wrap! And yes, singing is half the fun (as you can tell in the video towards the end of this post).
Lay the gift out on the wrapping paper to determine how much you’ll need.
Make sure you have some overlap with the paper – then cut.
Add some tape to keep the paper in place.
Then fold the edges…
Forget the perfect corners and blind seams, enjoy the process and let go of perfectionism (continued reminder to self).
And yes, more tape!!!
Did I mention tape? 🙂
Now it’s time for the bow…
And then we decided to switch to video for the bow… I hope you enjoy the sound effects:
Word
On the way to the birthday party, talk about party manners and expectations. Role-play how to thank the hosts (the parents and the birthday kiddo) for inviting you to the party. Then role-play what to say when leaving the party. We’ve come up with a hand signal for our son, I’m not really sure how it even started, but if he needs a gentle reminder, we can subtly flash him the sign and he’s reminded of what to do.
Seeing the smile on his face after accomplishing the task is WAY more fun than me wrapping the picture perfect package!
Click to tweet: Teaching my kiddo how to wrap a gift has been WAY more fun than me wrapping the perfect package! #MannerMonday http://bit.ly/GiftWrapKids101
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As always; Thanks for reading!
– Carey Sue
Etc…
Do you know of a high schooler who would benefit from improved social skills, confidence (the right kind of confidence) and better manners?
We need a few more Adult Interviewers: if you would like to help us during the mock interviews, please let me know, we would love to have you serve as a roll model for these students. Your services would be needed on Thursday, November 19, from 6:30-8:30pm. You will get to meet some amazing young people that will give you encouragement for our future!
Passport Program:
The Passport Program schedule has been set! Early registration is available with a $50 savings off tuition: https://www.expeditionsinetiquette.com/youth/passport-high-school-registration/
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