Being a teacher I have noticed that children will not pay attention if you shout at them. What they need is encouragement and inspiration. You can just sit with them for few minutes, talk to them, become their best friend. A gift for their development should be motivating words. If I recall my my school days, I do not remember the things my teachers gave me but the inspiring words they shared with me. So even now the gift for my children will be inspirational and motivational words.

— Sajina Karki,

Subhidhanagar

Could it be new clothes, chocolates and candies or toys? Personally I think giving some “time” is the best gift for a child. Take out some time from your busy schedules and spend time with your child everyday and you will learn a lot about your child. Sit down with them, do what they want to do, whether it is reading, drawing, painting, playing with toys or watching cartoons together. By giving them your time you will get to know your child better and be close to them and this will certainly help in a child’s development.

— Saqir Mark

Respect, opportunity, education, discipline, a sense of connection with family, persistence, love and affection, time to play and laugh, independence and self-sufficiency, praise et cetera might be the best gifts for the development of a child. Children are unique and precious. They are not here to make you happy, to help you experience what you missed out in life, to meet your expectations, or to fulfil your needs. So give them these priceless gifts out of love and don’t expect anything in return.

— Nitu Kedia

Whenever I have to give children gifts I give top priority to comic books, painting items, games, sports materials, flowers, toy, dolls and toffees. It is because these materials in one or another guide children. While toffees give them a message that life is sweet, flowers say nature is beautiful. In the same way jokes and comic books make children happy and a happy mental status of a person opens the door where creativity thrives and flourishes. Dolls and toys are meant to make children realise that life without company is miserable. Paintings help children to express their feelings in a creative way. Games and sports help children to stay physically fit and mentally active.

— Ambika Pandey,

Chitwan

With such deteriorating security for children these days, what could be a better gift for my child than a gun? With a gun in his hand he will be able to defend himself. He must know that his parents cannot be there for him always and no one else is going to protect him. If no one is going to care for him, he has to look after himself in many situations and what else can I do but give him a gun? Do I have any other choice?

— Hergu Lama,

Kathmandu

Can there be any better gift for a child than harmonious Nepal free from bandhs and killings? It worries me a lot when I see children playing with artificial guns. Once I had asked a child what would he do with the gun he had. To my astonishment he talked about destroying bad people. Isn’t it a shame that our children are learning about revenge instead of kindness? As the future of children rests on sound condition of our state, it’s urgent we provide them with this precious gift.

— Bibhor, Nepalgunj

I would like to create an environment where children are given free education if possible because education is the fundamental infrastructure for development.

— Yajendra Adhikari

I think books are the best gifts for anyone. A child can be gifted with story books that have pictures, slightly older children can be gifted with story books relevant to their age.

— Dwaipayan Regmi

Books related to sports and games in accordance to a child’s age would be suitable gifts. Such a book will not only contribute to the mental but to the physical development of a child as well. Consulting the book, the children can do physical exercises daily and be healthy.

— Mohan N Shrestha

Toys, bicycles and other goods are given by almost everyone. I’d give them a gift that will never fade.I’d give them lessons in discipline, good manners and awareness about their responsibilities towards their family, culture and tradition, and their nation.

— Niraj Khanal

The character of a child depends on the heredity and environment they are brought up in. We cannot change their heredity but we can give them a good environment to live in. In my view, musical instruments, sports and education related things could be given as gifts because they can not only enjoy the gifts, they will also learn something.

—Rajan Bajracharya