The Beginning - Toddler Gift Idea

The quickest thing I learned after having my first child is that people love spoiling children, love buying them gifts and in no time, homes with children resemble toy stores!

It was the end of April 2010 and my daughter's second birthday was quickly approaching.  The invites had been sent and I was focused on the final touches for my daughter's Crayola themed birthday.

But when the RSVPs began ringing in with the question of "what would Aliah like for her birthday?" panic began to settle in.   Between her past birthday, holidays and borrowed toys from friends, my daughter's playroom was stocked!  She had all the cool toys, gadgets and activities that any 2 year-old could dream of...and she rarely played with them.  I tried "No gifts, please" and although I truly meant it, none of my family members or friends would comply.

In expressing my dilemma to my Mother-In-Law, she came up with the suggestion of purchasing an outdoor swing set and having family and friends chip in.  Although I loved the idea, asking for people to contribute felt awkward.  We knew Aliah would love a swing set but having recently purchased our 1st home and being pregnant with baby #2, the timing of such a costly gift wasn't right.  After some discussion, my Mother-In-Law explained that she'd rather contribute towards such an item and was positive that my family members and close friends would be willing to as well.  My husband and I discussed the idea and we decided that since a swing set would be great for our active two-year-old, we'd try this approach and cover the missing funds.

As the RSVPs kept coming in, I was surprised by how many friends asked what Aliah would like for her birthday.  I decided to tell those who asked for suggestions about the set we had bought.  Much to my surprise, everyone that was looking for suggestions asked if they could contribute towards the swing set as her gift.

Thanks to my husband, father-in-law, dad and brother the swing set was assembled for the day of the party and the kids had a blast playing!

Swing set WishGift

Playing on the day of the party

 At the end of her birthday, I was shocked that the contributions received lead to her swing set being fully covered!  Moreover,  I was surprised by how many family members and friends thanked me for making finding a gift so simple.  This statement was so powerful that I realized that people find gift-giving challenging.  There's deciding on a gift, shopping for the gift, finding the gift, wrapping the gift...The experience made me realize that people want to give kids gifts and they want to give good gifts.  Even if you say "No gifts please", people will still get your child a gift.

Wishgift.ca began with the intention of simplifying gift-giving.  It's not a replacement of traditional gifting but rather provides a gift-option for guests who are looking for ideas.  To quote one of my friends "Wishgift takes the guess work out of gift-giving" and allows you to contribute towards something amazing!

The birthday girl enjoying her WishGift!!