PenPenWrites

Wednesday is link day.

The post on Susan Adcox's grandparenting blog offers eight practical pointers on buying gifts–holiday, birthday or otherwise–for grandkids. That is, gifts that won't tick off their parents, aka our grown children, when we 're spreading the joy to their kids.

As Susan notes, many of us simply ask the parents for a list of suggestions or buy a gift card to a favorite store, but for those of us who like to shop and to surprise, Susan has some worthwhile do's and don'ts.

Her subtitle reads: "Keep Parents in Mind When Making Choices for Youngest Generation." That covers a lot of the territory. Her list of do's and don'ts gets into particulars. Here are two:

DO check with the parents, especially before buying a "special" gift, such as a first bicycle or American Girl Doll. They may be planning to buy the gift themselves.

DON'T give toys that require a lot of space or particular care. Large toys, for instance, aren't a good choice for families who live in small spaces; toys that require a lot of supervision, such as chemistry sets, aren't optimal for families with crowded schedules.