Gift Giving Opportunities

There are many opportunities for giving gifts in a relationship. The most common are birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, special events in life such as a promotion or earning a degree. Every gift has expectation, emotional connotation and emotional denotation attached with it. Every gift is evaluated by the receiver and the evaluation will determine how the relationship will progress. Picking the right gift can further a relationship. Picking the wrong gift can kill a relationship. So pick very wisely before you give that gift.

Discussing Gift Giving

Before gift giving time rolls around you should discuss with that person what they expect and what you expect as a proper gift. You can start to drop hint for the other person to pickup on. You do not have to do this formally, you can casually bring the topic up. Discussion of gift giving is very important if you are from different backgrounds.

If you are corresponding with someone it is best to ask them about gift giving. Different people in different cultures will have different preferences than you. Colors may have different meaning or the number of gift may have a different meaning. For example in some cultures giving a dozen roses is done for funerals and 11 or 13 would be appropriate for an expression of love.

Discussing gift giving beforehand will help to ensure that there are no negative surprises down the road. If you spend time with them, listen to them and try and understand them you will be well on your way to giving a gift that will be accepted as it was meant to be accepted.

Gift Giving and Your Relationship

In the early stages relationship of a relationship it is easy to give little gifts ? a compliment, flower, candy. A tip about flowers, unless the person is a person who like gardening, give cut flowers instead of live flowers or plants. Plant are something that has to be taken care of. Cut flowers can be enjoyed and then replaced later with more flowers. Thus giving you an opportunity to give more gifts. As the relationship progresses, better and more appropriate to their likes and lifestyle will be expected by them.

In the beginning, you can give little gifts such as compliments, or flowers or candy. As the relationship progresses you should be paying attention to this person and start picking out gifts that are appropriate for them and not give them general, generic gifts. Watch what kinds of gift they prefer to give people. Unless they give what the other person prefers to receive, the kind of gift they give is the kind they prefer to receive. Some people will prefer to do things for other, other will prefer to spend money on gifts. Spend some time studying their gift giving behavior for clues.

Gift are Evaluated

Remember that the gifts that you give is an expression of you as well as how well you have paid attention to their needs, likes and desires. They will be evaluating you.

Picking the Correct Gift

Before giving that gift you need to ask yourself what kind of gift that person would like to receive. Is this gift appropriate for the particular stage / type of the relationship. Is that person one who would like something expensive and extravagant like take them out to a very expensive restaurant, or would they prefer that you made them dinner, or would they prefer a poem by you, or a romantic weekend alone with you? The secret in gift giving is to know the person that you are giving the gift to.

Some of the best gifts are those that are not expected. You just happen to see something in a store that made you think of them. This kind of a gift will be greatly appreciate compared to an obligatory gift for some occasion. So try and give gifts when they are not expected.

Picking the correct gift is a meshing of your knowledge of the person, how long you have known them, and the type of relationship. Giving the wrong type of present for a particular level could be taken badly by the other person. So put some thought into the gift. Best of luck in your future realtionships.