A Gift Guide for Godchildren
You know how the point of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus – the miracle of Mary saying “yes” to God! The mystery of the incarnation! The coming of light into a dark world! – and yet what children are typically most excited about (at least in my experience as a child and now as a parent) is the pile of presents under the tree? And the same thing goes for Easter: we’re celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and the triumph of life over death, but jelly beans, Easter baskets and egg hunts are the name of the game for kiddos.
While the focus of children (and okay, maybe in some cases, a teeny bit ourselves!) on presents is something about which we can roll our eyes, or even feel a little ashamed about (am I failing as a parent when my kid is more excited to unpack their stocking than to go to Christmas morning Mass?!), I want to offer a positive perspective on gift giving and receiving on these special days.
Concepts like incarnation, resurrection, and transformation are hard for children to understand. Developmentally, small children just aren’t yet able to wrap their minds around abstract concepts. But what they absolutely can feel are emotions like anticipation, surprise, wonder, excitement, delight, and joy, and they can also understand concrete concepts, like that Jesus was born on Christmas, and that the tomb was found empty on Easter. So while a five-year-old may not be able to wrap their mind around the joy of the resurrection, they can associate the feeling of joy (at finding an Easter basket) with the knowledge that Jesus rose from the dead on Easter morning.
That’s why I feel not only comfortable with, but excited about, giving my children developmentally appropriate reasons for anticipation and delight on important church feast days like Christmas and Easter. I want to help them experience the joy of Christmas and Easter so that they grow up knowing that these are the most special of days.
The same sort of logic applies to why I feel that part of my role as a godparent is to treat my godchildren to gifts on their birthdays and Christmas (and their name saint’s feast day, if they have one). Adults – parents of a child, and the godparents – understand that the role of a godparent is to help guide their godchild in the ways of Christian life, but that’s hard for kids to understand (and maybe even care about). What is meaningful for kids is knowing that there are adults out there, in addition to their parents, who love and care about them in a special way. One way to communicate that love and care is through, you guessed it, gifts. What can I say? Kids love receiving presents, and a gift from a godparent goes a long way in saying, “You are important to me and I care about you.”
All the better when the gifts are not only something that the child will enjoy but that can also play a role in helping to further their faith. Here are some ideas of religiously oriented gifts that godparents can share with their godchildren throughout their upbringing:
Gifts for Young Godchildren (0-5)
This St. Michael the Archangel plush doll is both detailed (the wings, the shield and sword, the helmet!) and darling. It would be a unique addition to a child’s collection of, most likely, a lot of animal and magical themed stuffies. If I were gifting this adorable doll to a young goddaughter or godson, I might include a note telling them a little bit about St. Michael the Archangel and how they can always pray to him for protection when they feel scared.
Children love having their own special blankets, and I have so many suggestions of faith-tangential ones for you to give a goddaughter or godson. This Wrapped in Prayer blanket is as cozy as can be and reminds a little one that they are wrapped “in love, prayers and blessings” (embroidered on the blanket). This Wonderful Adventure blanket features a Pope John Paul II quote: “life with Christ is a wonderful adventure!” And I just love this Our Lady of Lourdes & St. Bernadette quilt.
Gifts for Elementary-ish Aged Godchildren (5-12)
It can be a popular trope that kids resist chores and can be self-centered, and while this certainly may be true in some instances, I definitely don’t think it is true all the time. In my experience, children love to help – their parents, their friends, their siblings, their teachers, and their neighbors. The Little Way Inspiration Cards build on that inclination to offer specific ideas for ways that children can practice “offering it up,” like St. Therese of Lisieux, in order to help others and to grow in holiness.
I love the Rise Up: Shining with Virtue devotional for kids, which covers timeless and important ideas from our faith in a colorful, understandable, age-appropriate style. Each chapter in this book details one of the fifteen virtues inspired by St. Thomas Aquinas’ writings on virtues in Summa Theologiae. The fifteen virtues addressed are faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, gratitude, generosity, obedience, fortitude, perseverance, patience/mercy, temperance, humility, studiousness and honesty. If we, as godparents, can help cultivate these virtues in our godchildren by sharing this book, we’ll be living up to our duties. (Note: this book is most appropriate for 8-12 year olds).
Gifts for Teen Godchildren (13-19)
For a teen godson, I recommend a spiritual classic, like St. John of the Cross’s Dark Night of the Soul, or Introduction to the Devout Life. If your godson isn’t a reader, this Blessed Solanus Casey rosary would make a great gift. Its colors are masculine and the rosary pays tribute to the Blessed Solanus Casey as an exemplar of faith, service, humility, and generosity.
Catholic jewelry is a wonderful gift for teen goddaughters. They are at an age where they often both enjoy accessorizing and can be responsible with and appreciative of elegant pieces. The Gen Z-ers in my life tell me that gold is in right now, and there are so many great options for delicate gold necklaces, like this Petite Miraculous Medal and this Divine Mercy necklace.
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