Finding the right Christmas gift for a child with special needs can be a challenge. In this post, guest blogger Kimberly Drew encourages parents to think outside the box before Christmas arrives.

How to Think Outside the Christmas Box

I don’t know about you, but I have found shopping for Christmas presents for our daughter with disabilities to be extremely challenging. There were several years where I had done all of my shopping for our other children, relatives, and even friends and had still not spent a penny on Abbey. I hate to admit that I still have a gift from last Christmas up in our closet that she has never even taken out of the box. Over the years there were a few toys that she actually liked, but for the most part things just get thrown around and broken. It seems like money just wasted. Looking back, I wish I had realized sooner that for Abbey, an experience is a much better gift than something she can unwrap.

For birthdays and holidays, I always get Abbey a few things that she needs. Usually clothes, socks, bibs, and the like. But then when it came to that “special gift,” I never knew what to buy. Around our daughter’s ninth birthday, a friend asked if we would be interested in giving Abbey a riding lesson as her birthday gift. What was meant to be a one-time experience has turned into a beloved hobby and therapy.

It’s amazing the things you can find to go along with a hobby like this! A helmet, riding pants, boots, and the list goes on. We were unable to afford this therapy on our own, and have asked in recent years for family members to chip in toward a gift certificate. They got creative about how to wrap it up. Abbey’s Aunt Diane used the logo from the riding center’s website to print out coupons. When Abbey went to her next session, she handed in her coupon with GREAT joy!  Many times our entire family goes to her therapy and sits on bleachers to cheer her on. She has perfected her wave while maintaining her balance on the horse, and especially loves to look at herself in the mirror along the wall of the arena. These moments are precious to me, and she loves every one of them!

When you grasp that the years with these precious children are uncertain, suddenly making memories together seems priceless. This Christmas, I’m reminding myself and all of you to re-evaluate what is important when it comes to gift giving. Is there a family experience your child might enjoy being a part of? Does your child have a hobby or place that they like to go that is just for them? Have you been afraid to try something new, like a dance class, because of your child’s disability?  This year, why not think outside the box and give it a whirl?

How Do You Think Outside the Box at Christmas?

How have you thought outside the box to come up with a just right Christmas present for your child? Leave a comment to help other parents climb out of the box, too.

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