Giving a gift to a significant other can be difficult during the early stages of a relationship because the two parties may not have in-depth understanding of each other’s desires and wishes. Giving a mate the wrong gift can result in that person being offended. Therefore, new gifters may try the following methods to determine the appropriate gift for a loved one:
Considering Past Conversations
Thinking about past conversations can help a person to choose an acceptable gift. The person may think about the things that his or her loved one mentioned during the first few dates. Both women and men sometimes give small clues as to what they desire during the initial dating phase. A person’s actions and comments during television commercials may give a concerned mate an idea of what the person desires, as well.
Observing the Loved-One’s Shopping Traditions
Careful observation of a mate’s shopping practices can point him or her in the right direction of a gift. A male mate may shop for automobile magazines and sports apparel. A female mate may shop for shoes or jewelry. Gifting decisions that are based on the receiver’s traditional shopping ventures rarely fail.
Asking Indirect Questions
A gift giver never wants to the let the receiver know that he or she is trying to think of the best present. Therefore, the person may want to find ways to ask about the impending gift indirectly. Creative ways of asking indirect questions do exist. An example of an indirect question about a gift is a “genie” question. The person could ask his or her mate what that person would desire if a genie were to provide it today. The gifter may want to use an alternative question because the genie question often prompts magnificent responses. For example, the mate may answer the question with a response such as “world peace” or “endless riches.”
Taking a Needs Inventory
Another approach to figuring out a good gift is thinking about the other person’s immediate needs. One can never go wrong by picking something that the other person appears to need. However, the gift receiver may not respond well to a needs-based gift because a desire-based gift may be more appealing to him or her. Examples of needs-based gifts are undergarments, perfumes and Tupperware.
Using the Element of Surprise
Finally, a loving mate can use the element of surprise to determine what to buy his or her special partner. The person can take a “pot luck” approach to shopping for a gift and use the mate’s response as a guide to future shopping expeditions. One gift giving error is not likely to end the relationship.
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