With Christmas coming up in just 2 months the kids and I have been chatting about what they think they want and would be asking for. Recently on night sitting at the dinner table I asked that question and it took them way too long to answer. That means one thing, they have too much already.
We spoil our kids. They truly want for nothing with a house full of 4 gaming systems, 3 handheld gaming systems, 4 tablets, 3 laptops, a desktop, 4 smart phones, a flat screen tv & Blu-Ray player in every room and so much more. This doesn’t include the random toys and games, hundreds of DVDs and BluRays as well as the vacations, trips and events we attend on any given weekend.
We did this. We created these little monsters who can’t even think of another gift they would like. We provided not just necessities and essentials but all the fun they could imagine and even what they didn’t know was out there.
I’m flipping around our Christmas giving this year. There’s no way I’m spending my time and money on things that aren’t appreciated, needed or even wanted.
This year we’re doing things differently. The kids are going to have to choose 4 things
This makes the kids really take a look around and see everything they have and take stock of everything they are provided. I can’t control what others will shop for but in our household the holidays are going to mean more than just a pile of gifts under the tree.
I was going to add another something to the list but I’m thinking we can do that differently. Something to Give is now going to be a family charity activity. Maybe we’ll volunteer at a shelter, collect food for the hungry, paint a room at a community center or clean a playground. Doing this as a family will definitely have a bigger impact than just purchasing a pair of shoes and dropping them in a collection box.
What are your holiday gift giving traditions?
image courtesy via Pixabay
Shopping for other people’s kids in hard. No two kids are alike so I can never assume I know just the right thing. But on the flip side knowing a child inside and out is the best way to know what to get them for gifts. My best friend’s son is a comic book, wrestling and superhero fanatic. It never fails that every birthday or holiday is filled with themed gifts from everyone he knows. This Christmas I was able to score him a MARVEL Avengers Poster a Page book.
