<p>Hi CC Parents,
I wanted to give my parents (mom in particular) something special this Christmas as this will be my last Christmas before college, but I’m kind of dry on ideas (they’re not very materialistic so neither really wants/needs anything in particular). Anyways, I just wanted to know what the best gift you’re children ever gave to you, and why. Partly out of curiosity, partly in hopes of some inspiration or ideas for my own parents.</p>
<p>The best gift I ever got from my kids was a dwarf weeping cherry tree. Her name is Ashley and I love her with all my heart. I feel overjoyed every spring when she dresses up in her pink finery. I have given my mother special rose bushes that she has equally adored.</p>
<p>Best gifts ever from kids:<br>
They detailed my car.
They bought us movie tickets, and while we were gone they got the garden ready for planting. All I had to do was the fun part - drop in the seeds and tomato plants!
They power washed the driveway.
I’m sure you can see the theme here. Best gifts ever involved sweat equity and little cash!</p>
<p>Time together. </p>
<p>Having my kid accompany me on a special trip, a hike or a canoe trip, was the best present ever.</p>
<p>I have enough stuff.</p>
<p>OP, as you can see, it really depends on the parents and kids. Not everyone would want a power washed driveway or even HAVE a garden. But I think the key is personalization. What do your parents love or love to do? Is there anything they’ve ever wished they had or did but never got around to?</p>
<p>I made my parents a photo book decades before you could make beautiful ones online for only a few dollars. You could put one together of your growing up on any of the sites-I guarantee they’ll cherish it. </p>
<p>My favorite gift from my kids was stocking stuffers. That probably sounds crazy, but my mother always got us special and personal little things and wrapped them in tissue paper for our stockings, even after we had families of our own (after we moved out she didn’t put them in our stockings. My ex and my H just don’t see the point of stockings so mine always sat empty while my ex then H and my kids’ were always full. So now my kids go out and find things for mine. I love it.</p>
<p>An “experience” gift might be nice-arrange to do something you all enjoy. There won’t bee as many opportunities to do that once you leave home.</p>
<p>My 4 kids are doing well, are in good relationships; do not abuse drugs, alcohol, or tobacco; don’t have tattoos or strange piercings (ears and belly button okay); nobody got pregnant or STD; no car accidents beyond a minor fender bender; they hug me when they see me. </p>
<p>Those are the gifts I get from them every day. It would, however, be awesome if they could make dinner and clean up the kitchen on my birthday :-).</p>
<p>The best gifts I ever got was when each daughter wrote me a beautiful poem about how much they loved me. </p>
<p>I also loved it when they have volunteered to cook dinner or do the grocery shopping for me!</p>
<p>I worked for a woman whose kid wrote her a wonderful funny thank you letter for her parenting. She had it framed and I am still jealous, I can’t imagine either of my kids doing that.</p>
<p>Christmas stockings were an integral part of my upbringing and with my kids. Up until a few years ago, my stocking always remained empty unless H decided to throw a lottery ticket or card in it. 
Then as my kids got to be teens/older they have taken over the task of filling my stocking - they work together, search for fun things, wrap each little item up (it’s what we do) and fill my stocking up! I LOVE opening each little thing - whether it is my favorite tic-tacs or a pair of earrings, or a new workout headband and realizing the thought they put into each one.</p>
<p>Just this morning I was admiring a very nice (not inexpensive) outdoor chime that my daughter bought for me. The tone of it is beautiful.</p>
<p>My kids and I make my H a scrapbook every year. We go through all the pictures we took and just start coming up with ideas for pages. Its a lot of fun, cheap and H loves it.</p>
<p>My oldest son took all our old video tapes/camcorder footage of family events and made them into DVDs. He edited them and put music to some in a montage. Best gift ever!</p>
<p>I don’t have a best gift ever but there have been several gifts over the years that I treasure and remember so those must be the “best” gifts. One year my daughter (talented in art endeavors) did a large pen and ink collage type drawing incorporating a dozen of my favorite photos of my kids. Love it and it’s hanging in my family room. Another daughter wrote me a 4 page letter about family, love, her appreciation of the childhood she experienced and how I influenced her. That letter means the world to me. Another of my kids made a photo collage of photos of me and her My son takes me out to lunch for my birthday-just me and him. (not a Christmas gift but my point is I like spending time with my kids one-on-one) Just think of something that is meaningful to your parent)</p>
<p>Hands down the best gifts are either cards or letters that he has handmade/written for me and photographs of him. Also, I would love time spent just the two of us.</p>
<p>The best gift I’ve ever received from either of my kids was the lovely thank you letter our daughter wrote left on her desk for us to read after we came home from dropping her off at college. I didn’t cry at drop off, but you can bet I bawled reading that letter.</p>
<p>I don’t have a best gift ever, but let me tell you, if my child wrote me a letter like some of the ones described in this thread – I would be THRILLED beyond, beyond words. And I would cry. That would absolutely be the best!!</p>
<p>Starting in college, my S takes his favorite photos of his activities, travels, moments with him in them and makes them into a calender for me. I get a wonderful record of his adventures and tremendous incite into him. </p>
<p>When we adventure travel together I’m even in some.</p>
<p>^^^What a unique gift!</p>
<p>I am in the time together camp. When they do something with me, especially something they know I love to do so I know they are indulging me, that is the best. Examples? One son got up early and went to the NYC Marathon expo with me. It was a complete surprise to me he wanted to come. I was sure he would rather have slept in. Another time he went through a little dinosaur museum with me. Again, I am sure he would rather have been with his friends, but he took the afternoon off and walked me though that museum. </p>
<p>If it had to be a thing, I like a little something that shows they are listening. One year I joked I wanted a Barbie cake for my birthday. Guess what I got? Another year I said I wished I had a little crown…and got one.</p>
<p>I was away from home for about 3 weeks one summer when my elderly parents needed help with a re-location. When I returned, my youngest son who was then 13, presented me with a plate of chocolate covered strawberries that he had made himself. This is a child who cannot boil water. I still smile when I think of that gesture.</p>