I’ve really been struggling these past few years, wondering where to draw the line with Christmas gifts for our children. How much is too much? How much is too little? I don’t want to give them so much that they become spoiled (entitled) little brats… what to do, what to do. Thankfully, a few months ago I ran across a pin (on pinterest) that mostly solved the problem. It was just a graphic that simply said:
I LOVED this suggestion! Four dedicated gifts that each serve a purpose. The only thing that I would add is to use a spending budget of $100 or less per child and then I would do their stocking as well. This year, I am trying out doing Christmas Eve Pajama’s as the “Something To Wear” and then a Christmas book also given on Christmas Eve as the “Something To Read”. (Thankfully, my kids are still small enough that I can experiment a bit with this method of giving) This leaves two larger gifts on Christmas morning and also their stockings to open. It may not sound like much to some, but it sounds like plenty to me. Especially since the kids are going to be getting presents from grandparents and cousins and friends, it won’t feel like a teeny Christmas. We keep a $30 budget for the girls birthday presents and they are always thrilled with their gifts. I feel that doing Christmas this way will help them to be thankful for what they have been given all while helping them to concentrate on the true meaning of Christmas.