Table of Content
You should have plenty of ideas of things they want. We have all the Christmas deals for your shopping list. Christmas morning will be less hectic &more enjoyable. Starting the 4 Gift Rule was the best thing I ever did for myself and for my kids. Deep down inside I felt empty and so very stressed over the financial burden. I was a very young mom living off one income and I knew I couldn’t afford to keep this up.
For example, maybe you want to take the whole family on a special trip in place of one or more gifts. Sometimes experiences together are the best gifts you can give. I thought this was genius – not only does it eliminate a lot of the “stuff” you accumulate, but it gives a useful framework for gift giving ideas.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE JOY?
The kids get Santa gifts, plus gifts from their parents, their grandparents, aunts, uncles, extended family, friends, etc. We love holiday shopping and gift-giving, but it often ends up with children receiving SO many gifts. Lots of gifts and presents under the tree aren’t always a good idea. Sometimes kids can get so much that they stop appreciating any of it.
This year I am thinking of giving them a pajama set, slippers, and robe all wrapped together as one gift. Gratitude Games Activity Book – Fun games and activities to promote gratitude. Some people use this option to be a gift from Santa.
Amazing Gifts for Kids Who Love Nature
There are loads of popular book series and ideas, and it will totally depend on your child, their reading levels, their interest, etc. etc. So while I do like to limit Christmas gifts intentionally, I also like to have a framework as to what to buy my children. I also think it’s important to know that it’s not about the number of gifts as well. The wish list can be fun to make but it’s often full of items that are pretty far out there. These four categories still offer up a broad enough spectrum for giving them something they'll really love, but specific enough to narrow it down to items that fit your budget and their needs. When my brother and I were little, my parents would buy us one big gift that stayed in the family room.
But we don’t want them passing that tipping point where unwrapping them becomes a chore. On my Christmas Wish List printable each rule has 4 slots for ideas so you have options to choose from and helps there to be an element of surprise in your gift giving! There is also a section for 1 item they really would love to receive, possibly a Santa gift . In our home we give a Santa Gift in addition to the 4 gifts from Mom & Dad.
The 7 Gift Rule for Christmas Gift-Giving to Kids
Something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read. Christmas should be a season of joy, togetherness, and, for many, the celebration of Christ’s birth. We all have a choice to mold it into the way we want it to be, so make the most out of your holiday.
Andrew Herrig is a finance expert and money nerd and the founder of Wealthy Nickel, where he writes about personal finance, side hustles, and entrepreneurship. As an avid real estate investor and owner of multiple businesses, he has a passion for helping others build wealth and shares his own family’s journey on his blog. That was the question I asked myself a couple years in to our parenting journey. We now have a 4 and a 2 year old who have toys spilling out of every available space in our home.
I have about three boxes full of stuff under my bed already. None of it is super expensive or throwaway kind of things, and the kids' stocking always have useful things in too, like pants and socks, but I definitely couldn't limit myself to four things. Christmas is a time to celebrate and enjoy yourself, whether you're religious or not. We found the four gift rule helped us all appreciate what we received.
Every October, I give the kids a Christmas wish list with want, need, wear, read categories and have them write down some gift ideas in those categories. This gift is all about stimulating your child’s mind and keeping them active during the holidays. Many parents like to include gifts that encourage creativity, such as art supplies or building toys. Other ideas are toy cars, dolls, Nerf guns or board games which make great Christmas morning activities for families.
I do make sure we get the best deal possible for everything we buy and I don't go overboard but I don't think the four present rule is for us as a family. I work hard to save for Christmas throughout the year and as a parent I look forward to seeing my children's faces when they open their presents. All kids get the same so none think they've been bad. That's assuming kids can't differentiate between Prada and Primark.
And to splurge on them just a little bit as I don’t much during the year. I still want their Christmas mornings to be magical and pick gifts that really matter. When it’s that time of the year, I love to have some shopping fun during the Christmas season as well.
This Christmas tradition will change how your family celebrates…forever. Books are some of the greatest gifts you can give. If your little ones are very small, you can get them a Little Dress Up Activity Book full of stickers, stencils and colouring pencils.
That can sometimes accompany Christmas morning, or if you are saving money, or even if you simply want to find a way to set a boundary or limit on the gift-giving. Three gift rule, but I had wanted to add one more that could cover everything. The 4 gift rule helps emphasize presence over presents. We want our children to think of Christmas as a time to gather with the people we love. The “something to wear” idea could be as simple as a new pair of shoes, a coat, or even a fancy outfit. With technology taking over the whole world, it is so important that we instill the value of reading books unto our children.
No comments:
Post a Comment