Too many Christmas gifts for the kids.. I have the answer!!!!

[C.Ann]

And it's straight from the horses mouth!!

As some of you know, I have the most darling little granddaughter that just turned four this past September.. She's an only child, only grandchild (on both sides), only great neice, and only child in my DD and son-in-laws circle of friends.. Needless to say, every holiday she was bombarded with gifts..

That was until the year before last when she came to our house on Christmas Day.. She took one look at all the gifts for her, flung her little arm across her forehead like she was going to faint, and said, "Peez.. NO MORE peasants!!"

She had no interest at all in opening them so my DD went ahead and started.. There was no response until she got to a BOOK.. At that point my granddaughter lunged for it and then came over and plopped down on my lap.. My DD then asked, "Don't you want to see what else you got?" To which my granddaughter replied, "No.. Grandma is reading on me!!"

Last year I cut back considerably and it was STILL too much for her.. When it came time to leave (if I remember correctly) she only took ONE of her new gifts and ONE of her old books..

At her birthday party in September she never even finished opening her gifts from everyone - they're still sitting in my DD's dining room all wrapped!!

I have purchased 3 things for her this year - and will add a few books as well - but that will be it.. We'll focus more on the meaning of the holiday itself - as well as having a ball in the days leading up to it by singing Christmas carols, watching videos, and baking lots of cookies.. Last year we not only baked cookies together (which was a blast), but we spent a weekend making Christmas gifts for her Mom & Dad out of some craft supplies I had and she thought that was the best thing ever..

I finally figured it out - with the help of my granddaughter.. When it comes to material gifts, less is more...

 

[lisajl]

What a wonderful idea!
I think the holiday is too commercialized anyway!

Our kids are getting the trip to WDW and a few little gifts.
(That way they have something to open with family).

You must be a wonderful Grandma!

Have a great holiday season with that little granddaughter!

Lisajl

 

[Saffron]

Oh C.Ann, that is so true! What a wonderful lesson your grandaughter has passed on to the adults in her life! I've always felt that way. A thoughtful gift, one that means as much from the giver as it means to the receiver, is worth more than words can say. Those are the gifts we hold close to our hearts long after the tree is taken down and the festivities are over.

She certainly is a precious grandaughter.

 

[helenabear]

Awww... that is so sweet C.Ann. You are right though, less is more I always say it is the thought that goes behind the gift counts so much more than a gift itself.

 

[Boo'sMom]

That could have been me growing up...and I can honestly say...the best presents of all were the memories I have of my Nana and christmas traditions she started.

 

[wovenwonder]

One of the favorite Christmas traditions of my niece and nephew are to bake a special cake and decorate it for Jesus Birthday. After Christmas dinner our extended family all gather around the table and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus before we have our dessert!

 

[LuvTigger]

That's great C. Ann!

My boss has a great idea...he lives in an apartment with his wife and 3 kids, so they don't have a lot of space. Sometimes what he does when they get too many gifts is he asks his kids to look at what they already have, and to keep a new gift, they have to donate something they already have. I think that's a great idea. In your granddaughter's case, if she still gets too many gifts (or those unwrapped b-day gifts), maybe another thing she could do is donate them to the needy.

 

[Kermit]

That is so nice! I'm sure your dgd will remember the time spent with Grandma much more than any present you could buy for her. I love the idea of taking the emphasis of Christmas away from shopping and fighting crowds and more toward spending time with family and doing things for those who can't buy gifts for their loved ones.

 

[CajunDixie]

Our kids were getting tons of toys every year too and we put the kabash on that. Now they get useful presents from my parents, one big gift from DHs dad, toys from DHs mom, and usually something totally outrageous from DH bro and he gets them each a savings bond. Santa brings them one gift each. DH and I have done some different things for them...one year our WDW trip was their present, one year we did a Colts shopping day and a game, and this year we're thinking about getting them a shopping trip to the Smokies. Opening presents at 4 different places is too much so this gives us a family day to enjoy at our own pace.