In our family, there are many people who love to spoil my children. Seven grandparents, nine aunties, four generous godparents, an uncle, a nanny, Santa – and then there’s us, the parents. While it’s great to be loved by so many adoring people, it means my kids get a lot of gifts around the holidays.
It’s too much.
As a parent, I struggle with how my kids handle it. Do they appreciate their new things? Is this spoiling them? Do they understand the meaning – and really, the magic – of this holiday?
Instilling compassion and appreciation for the beauty and peace the season brings is important to me. Even toddlers and preschoolers can understand this. In fact, it’s probably the best time to start. We might not stop the “gimmes” and the pleading tearful “I wants” entirely. But we’ll slow down. Look around. Hear the music. Reflect on the beauty of snow. Spend quiet time as a family — without technology. And maybe, at some point, they’ll understand more about why these holidays are so magical – without the toys.
Here are some ideas I’m planning to try this year:
make homemade gifts
Get kids to create a list of their friends, teachers and helpers who they’d like to give a present. Browse craft ideas on Pinterest or this list of our favorite 33 holiday crafts. Once done, wrap in decorated “homemade” newspaper and allow the kids to give each gift in person. Seeing the joy their craft can give another person can instill that feel-good giving-feeling.
go on a wintery walk
Check out your neighborhood lights with a family stroll. Go right after the sun sets and the sky starts sparkling. Make it a scavenger hunt adventure so the kids have to find certain colors, shapes and symbols. Talk about the beauty of this season and why this time of year is so special. Then head inside for some hot chocolate and cozy story telling under the glow of your own holiday décor.
take care of strangers
If your kids tend to get inundated with gifts, scale down your own shopping. Explain that Santa will surely take great care of the kids this year, but it’s our job to take care of others. Let them pick where their gifts will go: kids without a home, kids who need food, animals who need help. Then donate money or buy gifts for these other children (or animals). Involving your kids in the spirit of helping those less fortunate should have a long-lasting effect.
furry & feathered friends
Take care of the snow birds and animals who spend the winter in your backyard. Make a garland of dried fruits, popcorn and apples and string around the trees. Let kids watch and take pictures of the animals enjoying their new treats.
elf friends
“Ghosting” is very popular in my town at Halloween. This is when you ring a friend’s doorbell and run away, leaving a bag of treats on the front step. Continue this giving spirit around Christmas and Hanukkah with “Elfing.” The giddiness of giving is contagious.
Katie Bugbee is the senior managing editor and resident parenting expert of Care.com. A busy working mother of two, she’s an expert on many parenting dilemmas, from appeasing picky eaters to finding the perfect nanny.
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