The family wishlist app habit that saves birthdays
The quick cheat sheet
- One place for wishes
- Add favourites as you go
- Review and approve
- Share when you’re ready
No birthday needed to start. Your kid adds their wishes, you approve the gift hints, and the list grows over time.
“Mum, I want this. Mum, I want that.” Sound familiar? For a while, every time my son asked for something, I gave him the same answer: “Just add it to your My Gift Hint wish list.” He wasn't keen at first. Then one day he actually started using it, and I heard: “Mum, this is so good.” Now he loves it so much he keeps it on his tablet's home screen.
Why a wish list beats “I want that”
Here's what I didn't expect. The list didn't just stop the endless asking — it gave him somewhere to put his wishes. Instead of asking me ten times, he adds the thing once and moves on. And when a birthday comes around, the list is already there, full of things he has genuinely wanted for weeks, not just whatever he saw that morning.
I'm clearly not the only parent looking for this. When I checked the numbers, “wishlist app” is searched around 2,900 times a month in the US and about 590 times here in Australia, and “gift list app” another 880 in the US. Lots of families want one easy place to keep track of what everyone really wants.
When my niece took the guessing out of her birthday
The second person to win me over was my sister's daughter. With her birthday coming up, her mum created her a profile — and my niece knew exactly what she wanted. There she was, a whole month before her birthday, happily adding things to her list.
And the family loved it. Nobody had to ring around asking “what does she like at the moment?” We just opened her list and knew what would make her happy. That whole “what do we get her?” decision was completely taken away.
How to start the habit in your family
It really is this simple — and you don't need a big birthday to start:
- Give your kid their own profile. Let them add what they love themselves, with a photo or shop link. You approve each idea before family can see it.
- Use the same answer every time. When they say “I want that”, reply “add it to your list”. It turns the asking into a habit.
- Start early. A month before a birthday or Christmas gives the list time to settle on things they truly still want.
- Share one link with family. Grandparents, aunties and friends open it whenever they're ready to shop.
- Make giving back part of the habit. Let your kid pick one cause they care about — a local animal rescue or a global charity — and add a small donation as a gift hint alongside the things they would really love and use.
If you're not sure what should go on the list, my guide on how to make a birthday wishlist your kid actually wants walks you through it.
What family see when they open the link
When someone picks a gift, the others can see it's taken, so two people don't buy the same thing. For a party, you can add the link to an online birthday invitation — that part is optional.
Ella's Christmas wish list shows what family see, with gift photos, shop links and a one-off $20 UNHCR donation. You can share just a wish list, without an invitation.
A small habit with a big payoff
A wish list isn't about getting more. It's about kids feeling heard, and family knowing exactly what will make them happy. In our house it started with “just add it to your list” — and ended with “Mum, this is so good.”
My Gift Hint is free to use. Make your kid a profile, let them add their wishes, and share one link with the people who love them.
Start your family's wish list habit
Free to use. One link for the whole family — no more guessing.
Create Their Wishlist— Mira G ♥
Keep reading
Why my 11-year-old asked for a gift card and a water bottle — letting older kids build their own list.
How a gift registry actually works — explained simply, in a few minutes.
