Fewer Gifts + More Thought = Nicer Christmas
The following is a guest post from Angie who blogs at Many Little Blessings.
Fewer Gifts + More Thought = Nicer Christmas
For years, I allowed myself to get carried away with Christmas. It was like I couldn’t help myself. I wanted my kids to have piles of presents on Christmas morning. It’s not that I actually thought, “I want to overwhelm my kids with gifts,” but I also found myself buying any gift that I thought would be the newest, hottest toy or whatever might be on sale on Black Friday. Often, I didn’t even know which of my kids the gift would be for. It was a good deal, and I needed it. And, that’s how our Christmases went.
I have picked them up dancing robots, toy chocolate fountains, not so wonderful dollhouses, and a bevy of other toys and items along these lines. Of course, there have been toys we have bought for them that they have loved over the long term, but it seems so many gifts are played with for a few days or maybe even until the kids go back to school. And, then the toys find themselves in the closet, never to see the light of day again.
Well, that is, until one day when we were sitting in church. Our priest was talking about how he advised the young man that had married a niece of his that as soon as they started having children, they should only do three presents per child. I was really struck with this idea (though I had heard it before), and I felt convicted to do it. I couldn’t help but worry though, “What would our kids think about this? Would they be disappointed to not have every cheap plastic toy that had fit in my cart?”
I then began to bank on this equation for our Christmas last year:
Fewer Gifts + More Thought = Nicer Christmas
We actually opted to tell the kids that we would be getting them just three gifts last year, and that Santa would continue to get them one gift each. So, we officially set our number at four gifts total (plus some goodies in a stocking).
I came to notice something very interesting as I got ready to do my shopping for the kids — I didn’t go out and just buy every new item or a bunch of sale items. I sat down and planned out their gifts. I poured over reviews online. I causally asked the kids about their thoughts about various items. I thought about their gifts some more. I looked through our budget and figured out generally what to spend. I thought deeply about their gifts yet again. I finally bought bigger things that I turned my nose up at in previous years because I had been too busy buying lots of small things. (Mind you, that, for instance, when our daughter got the American Girls Bitty Baby Twins, this extra big gift was broken up, and each Twin counted as a gift, not as one gift total.)
When I finally figured out what to buy my kids, I was proud. I looked at my list, and I finally felt that last year, I was really thinking of each child and evaluating what was best for them.
And, so I realized — perhaps buying fewer gifts is not just a blessing because it helps with less clutter and gives my kids appreciative hearts, perhaps it is also a blessing because it forces a person to really think about their child before shopping. Because of this, I was able to give my kids not only the gift of presents, but the gift of saying, “I know you. I know your interests, and I know what’s in your heart, even if you never asked me for this gift specifically. I took time to think of you when I picked your gifts. I know you, and I love you.”
Maybe that means that we really gave them five gifts. The fifth one was just one that couldn’t be seen — our time and love.
Angie can be found writing about faith, family, household management, homeschooling, and trying to live a more content life at Many Little Blessings.
Visit Rocks In My Dryer for more Works For Me Wednesday. For more Frugal Fridays visit Crystal.
AUTHOR | Toni
Toni, one of the original 3 Moms, is a military wife and stay-at-home(schooling) mom of six, soon to be seven great kids. On her personal blog, The Happy Housewife, she writes about saving money, healthy eating, recycling, homeschooling, life as a mom, and crafting.
Wow. Good thoughts. It is so easy to get caught up in the craziness. I am certainly victim to it and would like to stop. I haven’t made my lists and shopped yet this year, (aside from a couple things I picked up earlier in the year) but I’ve already thought about all the clutter that is about to enter my home. Hmmm. Maybe not. Perhaps this is the year to make a change. Thanks for the inspiration.
This is a great post. I love taking my time and really considering what to get my family for Christmas. I usually just do one gift for my mom and siblings, so I really want it to count.
My kids will still get quite a few presents from Santa, but they get a couple of special thoughtful presents from me, and I hope to continue those for the rest of their lives. Thanks for your thoughts!
LOL! I was scrolling through the WFMW list, and thought, “Hang on — that’s my article title!” Oh — look, it’s my article.
Thanks for the chance to be a guest poster!
This is a neat post. I have found that in years when money was tight, somehow the gifts I gave meant more. Whether I made them, spent more time shopping for bargains, or simply was more intentional about what I bought — it seemed to make a difference. Somehow simpler really is better. Thanks for the great thoughts.
This is a great idea; I wish more people would do something like this. When I was growing up, we didn’t get many presents, either, but I knew my parents loved me and put thought into their gifts… they always talked about feeling badly for not getting us more — but I was quick to tell them I didn’t need “more”! I had a family who loved each other, and that was more than enough! :o)
We do this as well. When we had our first child, I didn’t know how to go about doing Christmas without going all out. Of course, you want to get your precious one everything their heart desires, even if they don’t know they desire it yet! I asked some of my girlfriends what they did, and they explained the three gift idea to me. We started it six years ago, and now that we have six children, it is very helpful economically. My parents and in-laws are even doing it this year! It really does force us to choose thoughtfully, and it reduces the clutter in our house, but most importantly, it ties another commercialized part of Christmas back to the real reason we celebrate.
Very good thoughts here. I tend to buy stuff for my kids and then forget what I got. I need to be more thoughtful about it. Thank you.
Very nice post and I agree with it. More thought always makes for a nicer gift.
I too, share the concern of what will they think if we significantly reduce this year? I was off to a good start and the gifts are piling up in my closet again…..I’ve really got to quit and focus more on thoughtful gifts. Way to go, I commend you for what you’ve done!
This is the same concept I wrote about yesterday too… although I forgot to link up to WFMW! I think it really does make a difference when you purposely get less gifts but think more about them.
My MIL tends to buy a bunch of everything but then they don’t use a lot of it. Dh asked her to just give us less this year. We talked with our children about CHRISTmas and gifts. Ds said he didn’t want anything, but of course we will give him something. We have a family gift planned - game. Then we will give them each one thing they want and things they need.
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