Dear LPG readers, 

 

I know I am not the only pensioner—or indeed the only person—who spends weeks agonising over what to buy each grandchild for their birthdays and Christmas. 

When children are very young, the choice of toys seems endless. While our own children may curse us as they trip over the ever-growing collection, I still feel that giving money or a gift voucher simply isn't the same. Children today often accumulate so many toys so quickly that they become spoilt for choice. 

As they get a little older, choosing the right present becomes even more difficult. I suspect I am not the only grandparent who has carefully selected a gift only to be met with a rather lukewarm reaction once the wrapping paper comes off. It can be even more disheartening when another grandparent's present receives a far more enthusiastic response. Although we tell ourselves we're not competing, those family birthday rituals can sometimes leave us feeling second best. 

While money or gift vouchers have their place, they don't feel like a proper present for a young child. Homemade gifts, meanwhile, are often overlooked amid the excitement of unwrapping shiny new toys. Yet I recently rediscovered something I used to give my own children that, although it may not produce an immediate "wow" factor, could have far greater staying power. 

Years ago, when I was juggling family life with evening shifts as a hospital administrator, bedtime with my young children was precious. I would put them to bed just as their father came home from work before heading off to my own shift. He was always there for them, but after a long day he was understandably more interested in his supper and a chance to relax than in delivering lengthy bedtime stories. According to our children, his versions were somewhat abbreviated! 

To solve the problem, I began recording bedtime stories on the little cassette tapes we used back then. My children could listen to my voice even when I wasn't there, and it worked wonderfully. 

Today, we live in an age of professionally produced audiobooks, often read by celebrities, but there is something uniquely comforting about hearing the familiar voice of a parent or grandparent. Those of us in retirement can easily forget how hectic life was when we were raising young families. Many of our own children are now in the thick of that same busy stage. 

Recently, I revisited the idea, replacing cassette tapes with MP3 recordings. While they didn't generate the biggest 'wow factor’ when unwrapped, I am told they get repeated, and together with some of the ones that are professionally recorded, they are-enjoyed on a rotational basis quite a bit. I have a little Dictaphone which is just right for my recordings but a smart phone is also perfect - misstakes and all. I have to say that I left it to my IT savvy children to do the rest and the rest is history. 

The idea came back to me when my daughter played one of the stories I had recorded for her over forty years ago. She had converted the old cassette and simply played it from her mobile phone. 

It reminded me that while such a gift may not create the biggest impression on the day it is opened, its emotional value can endure for decades, long after many other presents have been forgotten. 

WP, Dulwich 

 

 

WP tells that she has found some tutorials on how to actually do the recording but she strongly suggests getting someone who knows how to show you…

 

 

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