Presents – How Much is Too Much?
Can you believe Christmas is around the corner and the silly season is nearly upon us? Amongst all the feasting on rich food, indulging in plum pudding and hanging out with extended family, there’s the inevitable mountain load of new presents for the kids. It’s got me thinking lately, how much stuff do our kids really need?
Deciding how many presents to give can be tricky. Most people would agree that kids today receive far more presents than we did when we were young. We love to see our kids’ faces light up when they receive what they wanted, but we don’t want them to develop an entitlement behavior and expect to receive everything they ask for. Helping our kids learn to be grateful and appreciative of what they have will be assisting them enormously in the long run.
So what are some practical steps we can take to lower our kids expectations about presents (to a reasonable level) and still make Christmas a really special time?
It helps to talk to your kids about the difference between ‘wants’ and ‘needs’. The sooner they learn the difference between this important distinction the better. Some families thoughtfully give presents according to something you wear, read, want and need. I love this idea.
Get your kids into the habit of giving. Most kids love to give and will really enjoy choosing a present to place under the Angel tree, or choosing little gifts to pack into an Operation Christmas Child box. With Operation Christmas Child you can even track where your parcel has gone, adding heaps of fun to the experience. Make up a food hamper to give to charity and involve your kids in the activity.
Instead of Christmas just being about loads of presents, make up special family rituals and traditions. Kids love this. Have a special breakfast, go out on Christmas Eve to admire the lights, enjoy old classic movies together. How great would it be if, when your kids talk to their friends after Christmas, they ask, “What did you do?” rather than “What did you get?”
You could even say to your kids that by spending less on presents this year, you will have more to spend on a family holiday somewhere new. I like the sound of that!
Happy Christmas everyone!
Presents image courtesy of jones design company: https://jonesdesigncompany.com/holiday/giving-gifts-to-our-kids/
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Melissa
Melissa Northway, M.S. is a mom, founder of dandelion moms, and a children’s book author. Her award-winning book Penelope the Purple Pirate was inspired by her little tomboy. Penelope is a modern-day Pippi Longstocking who teaches girls and boys the importance of having fun while at the same time teaching them to be kind and respectful of others and their differences. Dandelion moms was created for moms to share their stories and to inspire and be inspired! You can reach Melissa at: info@dandelionmoms.com and follow her @melissanorthway and @dandelionmoms. Check out her author web site at: www.melissanorthway.com, as she hands out loads of goodies from the treasure chest.
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