Christmas presents for old people?

[paultvale]

Help!

Both my parents are 78,are considerably wealthier than me and have everything they want or need . So what the hell can I get them for Christmas?

[Bea Smith]

Help!

Both my parents are 78,are considerably wealthier than me and have everything they want or need . So what the hell can I get them for Christmas?

 

Your time and full attention perhaps ?

People love to remember their past, have you ever asked them what Christmas was like when they were children, what presents they got, what traditions they had.

Maybe they'd like to tell you what they did when they were courting, do you know how and where they met, where they had their honeymoon and early holidays (if any).Their first jobs, their friends, their first house, car, pets they had.

But only if you are prepared to really listen and be interested.

I have a friend whose husband cannot listen - as soon as someone relates a story it's 'Oh yes, I knew someone who did that... or we did that...or so-and-so did something similar. Any interest in the original tale is destroyed - a truly selfish act.

The gift of listening and being interested is beyond any price.

[capercat]

Along those lines.... do you have family pictures you could turn into an album? Old snaps, or slides? My sister and I have done that for my parents, and it's been a great gift, because as Bea says, people like to remember their past and it gets them talking about those days.

[Houston Valiant]

Your time and full attention perhaps ?

People love to remember their past, have you ever asked them what Christmas was like when they were children, what presents they got, what traditions they had.

Maybe they'd like to tell you what they did when they were courting, do you know how and where they met, where they had their honeymoon and early holidays (if any).Their first jobs, their friends, their first house, car, pets they had.

But only if you are prepared to really listen and be interested.

I have a friend whose husband cannot listen - as soon as someone relates a story it's 'Oh yes, I knew someone who did that... or we did that...or so-and-so did something similar. Any interest in the original tale is destroyed - a truly selfish act.

The gift of listening and being interested is beyond any price.

 

Sod that , buy them a Bentley.:)

[Howjy04]

A Family Bible.Failing that a weekend at The Ritz and West End Show.

[geosname]

Or a cheaper alternative... go to the sentinel and order a framed copy of the front page of the paper for the day they were born... or married.

Do a family tree, although its a bit close to Xmas to get very far.

Frame a copy of their birth certificates and marriage license and childrens/grandchildrens birth certificates.

 

There are drawbacks of course... ie... the first could be a disaster day, where something happened no one wants reminding about... the second... you could find things you werent expecting and they didnt know about and perhaps dont want to know... third... if its a large family it will be far to big

[toyahw]

Help!

Both my parents are 78,are considerably wealthier than me and have everything they want or need . So what the hell can I get them for Christmas?

Socks

[The French Connection]

By the time my parents reached that sort of age they announced that they really didn't want any more clutter about the house.

 

If it was me, and I could afford it, what about taking them out for a lovely meal somewhere? Or tickets to a theatre production and you go with them?

[Retro]

A half season ticket

[JOHNNYAITCH]

I have a friend whose husband cannot listen - as soon as someone relates a story it's 'Oh yes, I knew someone who did that... or we did that...or so-and-so did something similar. Any interest in the original tale is destroyed - a truly selfish act.

 

Isn't he just trying to empathise?

 

But yes..listen and enjoy their experience and wisdom

[JOHNNYAITCH]

When my Mum got to that sort of age usually it was a case of treating her to a meal or day out somewhere or a show..so i'd give her a nice Christmas card with something in it detailing where we were going and when

 

Another one that took her completely by surprise was contacting family and friends that she hadn't heard much from over a period of a few years and getting all their contact details plus some sort of note from all of them asking her to get in touch..she spent the rest of Xmas writing letters or calling them (well, those that she wanted to get in touch with anyway). Admittedly it took many weeks to put that one together so a bit late now

[geosname]

My mother has a great sense of humour and both my parents are in their late eighties, I ran out of gift ideas many moons ago.

On one particular anniversary I made up a basket of plastic fruit because she said she wanted something that would last and she could enjoy for a long time, she burst out laughing as soon as she saw it, I told her it was a choice between that or two funeral urns full of flowers, the urn she could spend eternity enjoying as I wouldnt keep it next to my fathers. He wasnt amused. I also told her to be ready to go out the following day by 9.00am... I picked her up in a limo and took her out for the day... just the two of us.

[paultvale]

Your time and full attention perhaps ?

People love to remember their past, have you ever asked them what Christmas was like when they were children, what presents they got, what traditions they had.

Maybe they'd like to tell you what they did when they were courting, do you know how and where they met, where they had their honeymoon and early holidays (if any).Their first jobs, their friends, their first house, car, pets they had.

But only if you are prepared to really listen and be interested.

I have a friend whose husband cannot listen - as soon as someone relates a story it's 'Oh yes, I knew someone who did that... or we did that...or so-and-so did something similar. Any interest in the original tale is destroyed - a truly selfish act.

The gift of listening and being interested is beyond any price.

 

I do appreciate your idea, but fortunately am very close to my parents and know all about their early years together and family history and everything that they want me to know really . Lived with them til I was 27 and for the 20 years since I have never lived more than a ten minute walk from the house that I was born in and regularly see them or at least speak with them. I feel the listening and companionship thing will come later God forbid, when one of them is alone and lonely. As for now they are thankfully both very fit and active and therein lies my problem that it`s difficult to give them anything they`d like as they pretty much live life to the full and do as they please already :)

[paultvale]

Thanks for all your replies and suggestions......

 

capercat,good idea but one of my sisters has already given them an electronic photo-frame thing that shows a a different image each day and scrolls through 365 pictures if you prompt it to.

 

geosname thoroughly researched our family tree back to 1690`s already , which is of course interesting for my Dad , but not my Mum`s side.

 

Thanks to Howjy and The French Connection for the west end show ,meal ,theatre ideas :)

 

Am trying to get them tickets now for The Jersey Boys and a pre-theatre meal package, but as usual the deal online wasn`t matching as it said when I tried to book it ,so need to speak to a human in the box office when it`s open.

[Howjy04]

Paultvale,my mum was 80 in 2011.We all went to NY to celebrate.Guess what ? We saw Jersey Boys on Broadway.Great show,loads of singing and dancing and that's the audience.:D