What age do you think children should sort their own presents for others?

[Litttlehouse]

Of their own accord I mean and with their own money. I'm not talking about guided presents where an adult takes care of it for the most part and puts their name on it.

I'm just trying to gauge what people think is 'old enough' to be expected to do this?

Homemade presents count in this question, it doesn't have to be financial - but it does have to be their own idea and more than just whatever they've made at school for example.

I am happy to facilitate by driving to a shop or helping to source something particular, but the idea has to come from and be driven by them.

I personally think more than just age plays a part in this. I think general maturity is probably the biggest factor; you could have a very organised 10 year old that would be able to this (with help getting to the shops as you said) but a very immature 16 year old that would still need the adult to facilitate gift giving.

I do however, think that developing independence in this sort of thing is better earlier than later. Even now I ask my (almost) 6 year old what kind of gifts he thinks his friends would like when we go to parties. It's still early days but hopefully by age 7-8 he'll show a bit more independence in decision making.

Agree with PP I think maturity plays a bigger part than age, and I also think it depends what their experience of finding/buying/thinking of gifts has been growing up.

My sister & I were always involved in discussing, planning & finding gifts for family, it was made quite exciting and lovely. We had a newsagents about half a mile from the house and once we were 7/8 my sister & I used to save up some pocket money and walk there together to get mum & dad birthday/mothers/fathers day gifts.

I suppose, within reason, it’s when they are working and earning money, like proper money, so 16/18?

I don’t personally do pocket money, so my dc don’t have access to money and generally we don’t do gifts for the sake of gifts. So not lots of junky gifts, we do one nice gift as a family. I wouldn’t expect my dc to buy their uncle a £100 cycling gadget or contribute to it just because that what we adults decided. I would expect them to write a nice message in the card and wish him a happy birthday.

But we don’t really think gifts are that important, so just not something we’ve ever emphasised. If dd was invited to a birthday party, I would expect to buy the present for her friend, because she doesn’t just have £20 lying around. Sometimes she wants to just buy a £2 chocolate for a friend on their birthday (no party) and that’s fine, I’d buy that. She’s my eldest at 12.

My kids started at 10, buying Christmas gifts for grandparents. They’re boys and I have no intention of raising the sort of useless men that never think of others.

Kids as young as 7 can have great ideas for presents for people they love. It’s so nice when the ideas come from them.

Crikey I am well behind the curve here. Teenagers sons just started this of their own accord. Phew! Thanks MN I needed the steer!

Thanks all for your input. A range of opinions so I guess s it's just down to individual families

I love the idea of getting them involved as young as possible, asking for suggestions and letting them take the lead. I do think by the time they're 15/16 they should really be doing it themselves - certainly for siblings and parents. So I'm thinking somewhere in between. 9/10/11 maybe I'll start to take a step.back and see where we land.

Mine started with taking their pocket money into the pound shop, for things for each other, or for us, for birthdays a Christmas and Mothers' and Fathers days.

Gave them the experience of trying to think of something they thought the recipient might like .... the experience of choosing it and taking it up to the till .... without it being in any way a disaster if it were way off.
This was back when you could get a box of maltesers for £1, so I'm guessing around 7 / 8 /9 ish.