Christmas is just around the corner and Kim over at Reformed Grits has asked for some suggestions on what to put in your children's stockings. Hop on over and give her some suggestions.
This year I am trying something different. It has really gotten out of hand with all the stuff that "Santa" brings to our house. Last year I heard that several families in our area had always done just three Santa gifts for each child. I was like...Three gifts that's it??? My children have always had tons of stuff set out on the couch unwrapped from "Santa". It has always stressed me out and I always feel after the mad dash of unwrapping that they really got to much stuff. I always vow to make a change. Well this year "Some things are gonna change!!"
We are going to the Three gifts per child from Santa. The three gifts represent the three gifts that the Wise Men brought baby Jesus when he was born. I was moved when I heard about people doing this. I want my children to understand what the season of Christmas is all about. Its not about all the stuff they get but about Jesus being born. My children have already started making their list and are now calling it their Wise men gifts. I plan to explain more about the wise men, their names and what each brought when it gets closer to Christmas. I would love to hear from all of you and find out what you do Christmas morning. Thanks!!
Thursday, October 12, 2006
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8 comments:
Let's see...our Christmas morning...
We totally go overboard and open more gifts than are necessary. I keep vowing to change too. One year I did cut back but I felt SO GUILTY that morning that it ruined Christmas for me. So now I just buy the same number of items, but make sure they are cheaper items.
My mom has told me since I had our first child that I should only give three gifts...I go by budget, they each get $300, but then we don't buy toys during the year, Xmas and birthdays are it (and Xmas and birthdays are only a month apart! LOL)...so that's our take on it...but I LOVE Christmas and all the presents all over the place LOL I thrive on stress! (it's bad, I know)
Wow! $300 per child? You are very generous! We do $50 per child. We also only do 3 gifts and then "good stockings." (aka no nuts! LOL) Honestly I have a hard enough time coming up with something they would like and $50 winds up being too much. If there was something I knew they REALLY wanted that was a bit more I'd spring for it, but when there is nothing they have their hearts pinned on, like I said, $50 is too much just to blow for the sake of blowing. We have a lot of family around too and they usually do a lot for the kids so no one ever feels deprived too. Plus everyone here just likes to eat so as long as mama is cooking we are in good shape! :-D
We've never gotten down to three gifts each. But "Santa" only brings each kid one gift. So they have always only asked "him" for one thing. They've always known anything else comes from Mommy and Daddy. We used to go WAY overboard, but now I think we've got it just right. We spend just a little too much and have a blast doing it. ;)
hey there, thanks for visiting my blog, it's always fun to meet new mommy bloggers!!!
we always spend too much at Christmas too, we read the story of what it is all about but somehow I think all they have is gimme gimme on their wee brains!!!
I don't know what we are going to do this year. It is hard cuz they really don't NEED anything....but then Jesus didn't really NEED anything either.....we do the Christmas shoe boxes and I think this year we will do more of that and less to the kids....well that is the intention anyways!!
and what I mean by Jesus not needing anything is when you are God' Son...that is pretty much everything....hope I explained that right! :-)
I have friends who have 8 kids and only fo the three gifts too. They also don't put any names on any presents. Xmas morning, they gather together for a family pic and then mom hands the kids a piece of wrapping paper. All the gifts wrapped in that specific paper belong to just that kid. Fun huh?
We do 3 gifts for our son for Christmas. But I also don't include stocking stuffers as one of the 3 gifts. I also do set a budget, but that changes every year depending on how our finances look that year.
I think that setting a slow routine to the Christmas morning (open stockings, eat breakfast, THEN see what's under the tree) helps us have a more meaningful, less stressful Christmas morning.
Have fun this year!
Heidi
http://fallintoreadinglist.blogspot.com/
http://godsgraceinpractice.blogspot.com/
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