We love the grandparents in our family. Their generosity knows no bounds, they have a special place in your kids' hearts, and tons and tons of love... like, tons of love. It can be overwhelming at times, especially during the holidays. Listen, nobody is complaining about grandparents showering their grandbabies in presents and spoiling them with gifts! But there's a distinct feeling of dread that pops up around the holiday season when you imagine watching your parents/in-laws walk through the front door on Christmas morning, carrying a giant brightly colored box full of plastic toys. The types of toys that are bright and flashy, but are also often loud, require batteries, and break easily.
Since September, we've had grandparents coming in and out of the boutique, already shopping for Christmas presents. We love helping them and curating the perfect presents, but oftentimes, they have to call mama or dad to ask: What size are they? Should I size up or down for this brand? Do they still like racecars? It's a lot!
But you can relax! It's easy to take the stress off of yourself and help your parents and in-laws pick the perfect presents! Read ahead for our quick and easy guide on gently guiding grandparents towards high-quality, long lasting gifts that your kids will love!
The Collectibles Strategy
Grandparents love, love, love to be the providers of tradition. Passing down sentimental memories and practices is such an important part of the holiday experience, and they're the perfect people to share that specific type of holiday magic with. If you're trying to get grandmama and granddaddy to lean away from the cheap squishies, hard fragile plastic, and loud noisy gadgets, pick out a high-quality collectible toy brand for them to shop!
We carry several heirloom-quality brands at the boutique, but I want to focus on two of our favorites: Maileg (one of our number one favorites!) and Mon Ami.
Maileg is a Danish brand that creates the sweetest magical mice dolls. They also produce outfits, accessories, dollhouses, and furniture for the mice, so your little one can create their own magical playtime world. They inspire open-ended, imaginative play, they don't require batteries, and they don't make any loud noises! These hand-finished dolls are made of durable, natural organic cotton, and are designed to passed down from child to child. The best part? They come in the most adorable aesthetically-pleasing, vintage-inspired matchbox packages, meaning that clean-up is a breeze, and you can tuck the mice on a bookshelf or the coffee table. Shop our Maileg collection here!
Mon Ami is our second highlighted brand. This brand, whose name means "My Friend" in English, crafts the most darling keepsake dolls. They have seasonal plushies for Christmas, and their evergreen plushies are absolutely adorable. The design and craftmanship is so excellent, as a matter of fact, that Mon Ami toys can easily double as nursery decor! They're also heirloom-quality, meaning that they're meant to last through years of playtime and passed down to the next child. You'll fall in love with the beautiful dolls, excellent craftsmanship, and elegant design elements, while your kid falls in love with their new playmate! You can shop our Mon Ami collection here!
By encouraging grandma and grandpa to become your official Maileg plug or Mon Ami supplier each holiday season, you're accomplishing a few different things: First, you're taking a ton of pressure off of grandma and grandpa. Second, you're giving them a clear, fool-proof mission for their holiday shopping. Third, you're encouraging the grandparents to bond more deeply with your kids, creating holiday magic for the whole family. And finally, you're able to watch your family start a new tradition for the holidays, and start a meaningful collection of toys that grows every year alongside your child.
The "Next Year's Wardrobe" Strategy
Make everyone's life easier and shoot your parents and in-laws a quick text with your child's clothing size. But don't give them their current size--instead, intentionally give them the next size up. Clothing brands, especially those for kids, oftentimes vary in fit. Your four year old might fit perfectly into a 4T in one brand, a 3T in another, and maybe a 6Y in a different one. That's why you size up: It's way better to get a garment that's too big, that your kid can grow into for next year, as opposed to one that's too small, that you have to return or exchange.
Our suggestion is to pick a top boutique brand, give the grandparents the next size up, and let them shop. One of our favorite brands for kids is Rylee + Cru because of the high-quality, organic fabric, the play-proof durability, and the beautiful palettes and vintage-inspired prints and patterns. They fit true to size with slightly baggy fit, to allow your kid to easily move and play as they grow, and they even have matching styles for kids and grown-ups!
For babies, we love Quincy Mae. This is a sister brand to Rylee + Cru that focuses specifically on babies and toddlers. From woven jackets to cloud-soft bamboo pajamas to organic cotton swaddles, Quincy Mae is one of our top recommendations for any kind of baby gift.
If there's any formalwear on your kid's holiday gift list, Noralee is the brand to choose. This sister brand to Rylee + Cru and Quincy Mae is all about vintage-inspired, heirloom-quality special occasion pieces for babies, kids, and women! Whenever a mama comes in to style their child for formal occasions, milestone events, or fancy parties, we immediately suggest Noralee. They also have phenomenal family matching styles, so if grandma is buying presents for multiple grandbabies, it'll be easier than ever for her to style coordinating looks!
Shop our collection of Rylee + Cru, Quincy Mae, and Noralee here
The goal here is for grandma and grandpa to gift their grandbaby something luxurious they'll wear that is both stylish and comfortable, that you might be hesitant to splurge on yourself for everyday play. Your kid won't get a t-shirt that fades and shrinks after a couple of washes, they'll get a comfortable piece they'll love wearing, that they can wear for countless trips to grandma's house.
Alright, parents. Copy paste this blog post, text it to your parents and in-laws, with a few friendly emojis and a sweet "In case you need inspiration for the holidays!" message. Boom! Tons of holiday stress, gone, just like that!
Happy holidays! We wish you a wonderful season full of fun festivities and making wonderful memories with your loved ones!
-The Team at Wrightsville Ave Boutique
Still holiday shopping for yourself? Check out our Holiday Shop page for all of your holiday shopping needs!