Gift guide
Christmas gifts for parents and grandparents
Every year the same answer: do not spend anything on me. Every year the same problem.
Christmas shopping for parents and grandparents follows a familiar pattern. You ask what they would like, they say nothing at all, and you end up buying another jumper or a set of things for the kitchen they already have.
The presents that actually land at Christmas tend to be the ones that get opened in front of everybody and give the room something to do together. That points away from objects and towards shared time, shared memory, and things the whole family can gather around.
Christmas gift ideas
Our suggestion
Their story, to read together on the day
Of all the presents opened on Christmas morning, a book of somebody in the room is the one that stops the noise. With Chapternity they answer Sage in a warm conversation, typing or talking, and it becomes a written book of their life, their marriage, or the family history, with their own photographs through it. If Christmas is close, a gift card makes a complete present on the day and lets them start whenever they feel ready.
Other ideas worth considering
A shared experience in the new year
Theatre tickets, a day out, a meal booked for a dull weekend in February. Something to look forward to when Christmas is over.
A family photograph, properly framed
Get everyone together while you are all in one place, then have the best shot printed and framed. Costs little and lands hard.
A recipe book of family favourites
Gather the dishes everyone associates with them and have it printed. A lovely thing to open in a kitchen at Christmas.
Something genuinely comfortable
A proper reading lamp, a good blanket, warmer bedding. Unromantic and quietly used every single day.
A subscription that keeps arriving
Flowers, a magazine, a book club. A reminder of you in the flat months after Christmas.
Short on time?
A Chapternity gift card makes a complete gift on the day itself, and lets the person tell their story whenever they feel ready. Choose any amount, add a message, and have it delivered on the date that matters.
See gift cardsQuestions
- What do you buy parents who say they do not want anything for Christmas?
- Give something that is not really an object: shared time, a family photograph, or a keepsake that preserves a memory. A written life story is popular at Christmas because the whole family can read it together on the day rather than watching one person unwrap another jumper.
- When should I order a story book for Christmas?
- For a printed book to arrive in time, allow a couple of weeks to cover the conversation, the writing and delivery, and order well before the December postal rush. If you have left it late, a gift card is a complete present on the day.
- Can the whole family club together for one gift?
- Yes, and it often works better than several smaller presents. One person tells the story to Sage, but they can bring in memories and photographs gathered from the rest of the family beforehand. Extra printed copies cost less than the first, so each household can keep their own.
Give the gift of a life story
It costs nothing to begin, and you read every word before you pay.