CLEVELAND – If you’re not sure what to get your loved ones for the holidays, there are plenty of ways to show you care that don’t require buying anything.
Susan Albers, PsyD, psychologist with Cleveland Clinic said you could do something to help them out instead.
“Some of the best gifts are not the most expensive,” said Dr. Albers. “In fact, free gifts like acts of service sometimes reflect the most thought and care and can be more meaningful than any gift that you purchase.”
For example, Dr. Albers said you could make a delicious dinner for that person, walk their dog or do chores for them.
If you know a parent, you could offer to babysit their children so they could have some alone time.
For older individuals, they may appreciate you going to the store for them or shoveling snow in their driveway.
Another option is to use your talents.
If you’re good at organizing, you could clean out a person’s pantry or use your artistic ability to make them a drawing.
Gifts of service can also be meaningful for children, especially if you’re on a budget and can’t afford to buy them that toy or electronic they wanted.
“Those kinds of gifts will come and go. Kids remember how they feel during the holidays, so making them feel loved, supported, is going to be much more giving in the long run than any kind of toy you can get them,” said Dr. Albers.
She said if you are unsure of what to do, try to think about what kind of needs the person has or if they’ve mentioned lately something they could use help with. That could be a good starting point.