Giving jewellery in any form is a thoughtful gift. The recipient should have something that will make them smile, they will wear with pride and is likely to last them for years.
Naturally, this can be much more difficult when you’re looking at jewellery for children. After all, children are still growing and, therefore, something you choose for them today may no longer fit properly in a few months.
That’s why you need to choose carefully when to give them any jewellery and how to size a children’s charm bracelet properly.
The Appeal Of Charm Bracelets
A charm bracelet is something that can grow with a child, taking them into adulthood and old age. The bracelet starts as a simple band, but, as the years pass, charms can be added to create reminders of milestones in their life.
That’s part of the appeal of charm bracelets, the gift is relatively simple but it can be added to for life.
Of course, the fact that they are generally attractive and easy to personalise makes them a great gift for anyone, young or old.
It’s worth noting that charm bracelets have been used for thousands of years. Initially, the bracelet reflected a family line or the charms were used to ward off evil spirits. Today they are mainly worn for their attractiveness and the fashion statement they can make.
Sizing A Children’s Charm Bracelet
You’ll find an abundance of stylish children’s charm bracelets on offer which will make it much easier to choose the perfect one for your child.
When deciding to get one you’ll need to measure their wrist:
- Feel for the wrist bone on your child’s wrist.
- Place a piece of string around the arm just above the wrist bone and mark where the string joins
- Lay the string straight and use a tape measure to ascertain the circumference of their wrist
- Add ½ inch to your measurement
You’ll now know the size bracelet you need for your children’s charm bracelet. This will be big enough to be comfortable but not so large that it will fall off.
Of course, you’ll want the bracelet to last. That means looking at larger bracelets that can be latched in various places according to the size of their wrist.
If this isn’t an option you may want to check with the jeweller about how easy it is to extend the length in the future. It’s impossible to know exactly how big your child’s wrist will get.
The Right Time To Gift A Charm Bracelet
Children grow continuously with several spurts throughout their life. However, by the time girls are 14 and boys are 16 they will usually have finished growing in height.
It may seem like this is the ideal time to gift them a charm bracelet. However, finishing growing in height doesn’t mean they’ve finished growing. At this stage, they are likely to fill out more and become young adults. That means wrist size can still change quite dramatically.
The simple answer is there is no perfect age to give a children’s charm bracelet. Providing your child is old enough to understand what they are wearing and that they won’t chole on it, then they are old enough to have a bracelet.
Most parents agree the age of eight is the minimum safe age for a charm bracelet, there is no maximum age limit! Of course, the decision is personal. But, it is worth noting that every small child loves to have a matching bracelet to their parent. That could make it easier to decide on the right bracelet and what age to give it to them.