Gifts & Celebrations · 6 min read
Christening gifts that last a lifetime
A christening gift is opened once by the parents and once, properly, by the child at eighteen. The good ones are silver, written or growing, and they all carry a date.
Gifts, parties, milestones
Gifts & Celebrations
The best gifts in a wealthy family are the ones nobody could simply buy: the watch with a story, the tree planted at birth, the trip that becomes a family legend.
The short version
Gifting in families of means has one rule: the present should be harder to find than to afford. A silver cup from the godmother, a first edition from an uncle, a horse from the grandparents, all of them worked because someone thought. This section helps you think.
In this section
3 long reads
Gifts & Celebrations · 7 min read
The eighteenth birthday: the party, the gift and the letter
At eighteen the child becomes an adult in law, in the family and, if the evening is done well, in their own eyes. The party is theirs, the gift is a symbol and the letter is the thing they keep.
Gifts & Celebrations · 6 min read
A children's party without the circus
The party with the pony, the magician, the bouncy castle and the ice-cream van is a party for the parents. Children remember the treasure hunt, the den and the cake. Here is the arithmetic of a good afternoon.
Questions families ask
What is a proper christening gift?
Something silver, something written or something that grows: a christening cup or spoon, a first edition of a children's classic, a savings plan or a small share portfolio in the child's name, or a tree on the family land. Between 150 and 1,500 euros for godparents; grandparents give what they wish.
How much should we spend on a child's birthday party?
Less than you can. A party for eight-year-olds needs a good idea, twelve guests, two hours and one adult per four children. Budgets of 1,500 to 5,000 euros buy a very good afternoon; anything above 10,000 is for the parents.
What do we give an eighteen-year-old?
Something that says adult: a mechanical watch, a signet ring with the family crest, a pen that will sign contracts, a first piece of art, a trip taken alone. And a letter, which they will keep longer than any of it.