The Power of Choice

Why a Backpack Is More Than a Backpack

By: Mikey J Smith

Some years ago, at a Family Giving Tree backpack distribution, a young student carefully selected a dinosaur backpack and proudly walked away.

But, a few minutes later, he came back.

After spending more time looking through the available options, he exchanged it for a pink Peppa Pig backpack. As he walked away with his new choice, his excitement was unmistakable.

The backpack itself wasn't the point.

The choice was.

For many of us, choosing a backpack, picking out a holiday gift, or selecting a favorite color is something we rarely think about. These small decisions are woven into our daily lives. But for families facing financial hardship, opportunities to choose are often limited by circumstances beyond their control.

When household budgets are stretched, necessities naturally come first. Rent, groceries, transportation, utilities, and childcare leave little room for extras. Even something as simple as selecting a backpack with a favorite character or purchasing a gift that perfectly matches a child's interests may be out of reach.

That's why Family Giving Tree believes choice matters.

Why Choice Matters

Psychologists have spent decades studying what helps people feel motivated, confident, and fulfilled. One of the most influential frameworks in modern psychology, Self-Determination Theory, identifies autonomy—the ability to make meaningful choices and direct one's own actions—as one of three fundamental psychological needs, alongside competence and connection. Research shows people experience greater well-being, motivation, engagement, and life satisfaction when these needs are met. This suggests that the ability to make choices for ourselves isn't simply a preference—it’s a core part of human flourishing.

And this is true even when the choice itself seems small.

Studies have also discovered that people often value the opportunity to make their own decisions independently of the outcome. The psychological benefit comes not only from what is chosen but also from the ability to choose at all. Researchers have found that opportunities for choice can support intrinsic motivation because they reinforce a person's sense of autonomy.

Choice sends a powerful message:

Your voice matters.

Your preferences matter.

You matter.

For Children, Choice Helps Build Identity

For children, choice is especially important. Opportunities to make choices and express preferences contribute to confidence, self-concept, and identity formation, all of which correlate closely with positive youth development. In fact, learning to make decisions and direct one's own actions is a critical part of healthy growth.

Choosing a backpack may seem insignificant to an adult, but for a child, it can be a small way to express who they are and what they like.

When Financial Hardship Limits Choice

One of the less-discussed impacts of financial hardship is how it can narrow available choices.

Studies on scarcity and poverty have found that limited resources can force people to focus on immediate needs and make difficult trade-offs. In these situations, housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and childcare naturally take priority, while personal preferences often become secondary.

For parents and caregivers, this reality can be especially difficult.

Every parent wants to see their child excited about the first day of school. Every parent wants to give their child opportunities to express themselves and feel confident. Yet when budgets are stretched thin, practical necessities often leave little room for choice.

Choice, Dignity, and Being Seen

At Family Giving Tree, our mission goes beyond providing material goods. We work to bring joy, grow hope, and create community.

Part of that work involves recognizing the dignity of every individual we serve.

Research consistently shows that people thrive when they feel a sense of agency over their lives. Autonomy-supportive environments have been repeatedly linked to higher levels of psychological well-being, resilience, engagement, and self-worth.

That is why choice matters.

When recipients select a backpack, receive a wished-for gift, or choose something that genuinely reflects their personality, they are experiencing more than a transaction. They are being recognized as individuals.

Not as a statistic. Not as a circumstance. Not as a category.

As a person.

Someone with unique interests, favorite colors, beloved characters, hobbies, dreams, and preferences. And being seen in this way can be deeply affirming, particularly for individuals and families who may face daily challenges that limit opportunities for self-expression.

A backpack may carry school supplies, but it can also carry confidence.

A holiday gift may be an item on a wish list, but it can also be a reminder that someone listened.

More Than a Backpack

This Pride Month, we remember the student who went back for his pink Peppa Pig backpack. And we remember all the students who chose the backpacks they wanted, just like him. Because it’s not up to us to decide.

He may not remember that specific day years from now. But what he experienced in that moment matters.

He had the freedom to choose what he liked. He found something that genuinely made him happy. And he walked away feeling excited about what was his.

At Family Giving Tree, we believe those moments are worth creating.

Because a backpack is never just a backpack. A gift is never just a gift. And sometimes, the simple act of choosing for yourself is a reminder that you, exactly as you are, matter.

And that is one small way we can help bring joy, grow hope, and create community.

Happy Pride.

Seedlings