Giving Money as a Birthday Gift for a Kid: Yeah or Nah?

August 16, 2020

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Is giving money as a birthday gift okay or is it offensive at some point? Check out this article to find out!

Choosing the perfect gift to give is mostly a minefield of problems. And more often than not, the process is tricky.

What does he like? Does he own one already? Is this too much or too little? What if someone will give the exact gift that you have? Is it suitable for his age?

These are just some of the few questions that you ask yourself when picking a gift. Little did you know, the process is even made more complicated when choosing for a kid.

This leads us to the question, is giving money as a birthday gift, okay?

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Is giving money as a birthday gift okay?

gift-ideas — Is it acceptable to give money as a birthday gift to a kid?

To give and to receive money is a delicate business, more so that you are dealing with kids.

Generally speaking, giving money as a birthday gift is both a good and a bad thing. It comes with advantages and disadvantages, and it’s up to you to weigh down everything.

Giving money as a birthday gift keeps you away from giving a wrong gift. With it, you also don’t have to stress about what gift to pick. You are also giving the child the freedom to do what he wants with the money; thus, you are indirectly teaching him how to become responsible when it comes to money matters.

On the other hand, the parent might think that you are rude. They may also think that you are not sincere with your gift since you went for the easiest way – no hassle and stress. Furthermore, this might imply that you are not really engaged or interested in their child’s life.

Advantages of Giving Money as a Birthday Gift

It Eliminates Waste

Over the past years, plastic usage has become a very hot issue. According to reports, around 8 million tonnes of plastic is being dumped into the ocean each year. Yes, 8 MILLION, and if this doesn’t sound alarming, then think again.

It’s a known fact that children’s toys make up a huge percentage of this figure, considering that 90% of the produced toys are made out of plastic. This makes giving money as a birthday gift more eco-friendly.

Unlike materials gifts that the child might not use, thus ending up as a waste of money and space, giving money as a birthday gift gives you the guarantee that the child will use it sooner or later.

It Teaches Kids How to Manage Money

There are children who receive money from their parents in as much as there are also children who have to work for it. Giving money as a birthday gift teaches the child to be frugal, most notably when he knows that making money isn’t easy.

Even at their young age, children become more responsible when they are given the power to decide where to spend their money. Contrary to what we think, they actually if spending their money on certain things is worth it or not.

They make more sensible choices. With it, you are empowering them to take responsibility alongside increasing their interest to take care of what they have.

Furthermore, giving money as a gift is giving the child the opportunity to buy what he needs. This is so much better than giving him a robot or a toy car.

It’s Time-Saving and Less Stressful

On a casual basis, how much time do you spend when shopping for a birthday gift? Let’s be honest. Most of us spend a few hours when buying a gift, most especially when you don’t have anything particular in mind.

You invest so much in choosing the perfect gift that you never noticed that you are already wasting a lot of time. Remember, time is money, and sure enough, you have a list of more important things to do than shopping.

Giving money as a birthday gift is a go-to when you don’t have a lot of time to spend on shopping. It’s the perfect solution when you are busier than a bee.

In addition, giving money as a gift also lessens your stress since you no longer have to pick something. Although you can still be creative when giving money as a birthday gift, this isn’t as stressful as choosing a gift.

Disadvantages of Giving Money as a Birthday Gift

It Might be Considered Impersonal

Giving money as a birthday gift might make the parent of the child think that you are impersonal and you lack creativity. They might feel that you are not interested that you haven’t even invested in finding a different gift. Well, putting cash in an envelope is easy.

There’s a tendency that they will question the relationship you have with them. Or worse, it could spark an argument between you and the parents of the child.

It Lessens the Excitement

Kids are big fans of opening gifts. They look forward to opening all the gifts they have received during their birthday party.

Merely seeing the pile of gifts that they have already made them happy. And giving money as a birthday gift lessens the excitement and happiness that they feel.

Although they can use the money that you give to buy what they want or need, opening a gift from someone still gives a different feeling. The excitement is different from receiving an envelope with cash inside.

Some People Find it Awkward

Although the child might receive the gift with excitement, his parents might feel awkward about it. This is because you give a gift whose value is right inside the envelope, in black and white.

With this, both you and the child’s parent might feel uncomfortable, most especially when the money you have given is too little or too much. You might not have surpassed their expectation; thus, they end up disappointed, or it could be the other way around.

Unlike material things, giving money as a birthday gift doesn’t give you the chance to hide how much did you spent on a particular gift. With this, they are fully aware of how far you can go, and there is no way for you to conceal it.

When giving money as a birthday gift, you just can’t hide tha value unlike any other gift wherein they can’t know the exact price. You might have bought it at a discounted price, and they will never know about it.

Conclusion

Regardless of what gift you have decided to give to a kid, it’s the thought that counts. Money or not, you have still worked hard in order to give him something for his special day.

What matters most is that you have made the child feel special on his birthday with your presence. After all, money or gifts isn’t the most important thing at a birthday party or world. What is important the memories that you will have together.