Which brings me to the issue I have with myself. Have you started to get the million toy catalogs yet?? Well, we have and my kids have ever so carefully flipped through the pages of each one. Inspecting each toy. Being sure to make perfect circles around every item on their list.
That list looks about right. There must be a hundred things that they each want. Are these things that they need? No. But Christmas is supposed to be about getting what you want, right? I am sure that most of us don’t NEED much. Thankfully.
We try to get them as much off of their list as possible. But, do you try to spend the same amount on each kid? What if one has a ton of items that are relatively inexpensive? Do I get him more so I spend the same? Do they need to open the same amount of presents?
Of course, we try to teach them the ‘real meaning’ of Christmas. We donate toys to needy children. I take them to buy presents for people so they understand it is about giving. But let’s be serious, they are 5 and 2. They want presents!!
All I know is that I never got half of the things that kids these days get. A $225 IPod would never have made it off of my list. Are we spoiling our kids too much?
I just hope that I can teach them to appreciate all that they have while trying to let them enjoy a great Christmas!
5 comments:
I keep seeing a quote on Pinterest that I LOVE: "Let them be little"
Right now, Christmas is Santa and trees and cookies and presents. Sure, I try to install a little of the true meaning, a little charity - but I know there's plenty of time for those lessons in years to come.
I think that we can still keep the magic and fun in Christmas without going completely overboard and giving into our children's every whim.
We keep the holidays simple. Part of this probably has more to do with a paper thin budget, but the other part of it is knowing that I have the responsibility to teach my children that Christmas isn't about what we can GET. It's what we can GIVE.
Since I grew up with a brother only 20 months younger than me (just like Rylie and Bryce), I definitely have my opinions on the questions you asked.
My kids are too young right now to really pay attention to how many presents there are, and they are definitely too young to know the value of money, so for me this year, as long as there are about the same amount of presents for each kid, we are good.
But soon, I think the kids will pay attention to exactly how many presents there are. So over the next few years, we will make sure that there are the EXACT same amount of presents for our kids.
When they get older and are more into electronics and know the value of things, then I think you need to pay more attention to the price of the gifts and make sure each child has the same dollar amount.
I know that presents are not REAL meaning of Christmas, and none of this SHOULD matter, but it most likely WILL matter. And who wants an upset kid on Christmas because Santa loves their brother more than he loves him??? ;-)
My girls have been cutting out the photos of the toys they want and gluing them to a sheet of paper so that they are all in one place and Santa knows what they want without having to find the catalog. LOL.
This is tricky. I tend to go gift overboard and every year we say we are going to tone it down, this year we are sticking to it. A few toys from Santa, only necessities from mom & dad (we always got new socks when I was a kid) and a whole lot of love is what will be under the tree this year.
Luckily I only have one, but Christmas at our house is still out of control! I really like to 3 gifts per child idea which represents each of the gifts of the Wise Men. I might incorporate this as Jack gets older. With stocking stuffers, of course! (stockings are my FAVE!)
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