Deciding what to give a child at Christmas time can be a daunting exercise – the variety of choices is overwhelming. It becomes an issue of what to give them that they will enjoy past the excitement of tearing open the paper and breaking the seal on the box.

Even more challenging is deciding what to give the older folk, but for a completely opposite reason.

What do you give someone who has everything? I’ll bet you Aunt Sophie still has the handkerchiefs / au de toilet / chocolates you gave her last year, stashed at the back of a drawer somewhere and she doesn’t even remember where she put them.

Dad probably has a collection of golf balls that if let loose, could cause an avalanche of note. He’s probably got enough socks to last him to his grave and he actually doesn’t drink whiskey! (Those bottles from last year and the years before are gathering dust on a shelf somewhere waiting for Uncle George to visit again.)

Mom’s on diet, so chocolates won’t do. She’s also got enough handbags, scarves and smelly stuff to last a lifetime. She’s got more vases and picture frames than she can fill and anything bigger just won’t fit into the small apartment anymore.

There is a solution to the potential gift-giving problem…

Let’s consider for a minute those who aren’t getting anything for Christmas this year. In fact, it’s not only Christmas they’re concerned about – these people struggle to feed and clothe themselves all year round.

Fortunately for them, there are organizations of people who make it their life’s goal to take care of the less privileged and improve their lives in various ways. Most of these organizations rely on charity. What better time to benefit from donations than at the greatest time of giving in the year?

So, instead of all the (pardon me) ‘useless’ and most probably somewhat unappreciated gifts you’ll be spending your money on this year, why not put it to good use and purchase a donation to a worthwhile charity on behalf of someone else?

By the way, dad, mom and Aunt Sophie aren’t the only ones who could benefit from this generous gift-giving scenario. What about your clients? Every year we are faced with huge outlays for ‘gender-less’, generic gifts to show our appreciation for their business over the past 12 months. Now I’m not denying we appreciate their business, but how much do they really appreciate our year-end gifts? Our outlay would be far more beneficial as a bulk contribution to a worthy charity on behalf of our clients. We then send each client a small card stating what we have done on their behalf, and depending on the charity we’ve donated to, they may even receive a personalized letter of thanks from that organization.

Then there’s your children’s teachers. Think about it. Each teacher has their own family and friends from whom they will no doubt receive gifts. Add to that the multitude of gifts from students and, well… (I’ve seen many carting home boot loads at Christmas break, resembling one of Santa’s helpers!)

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