How to survive a no-gift Christmas with your kids

Key ingredient: determination

How to survive a no-gift Christmas with your kids

Key ingredient: determination

BY NICOLE WICK
Mom, maven, and blogger

Two years ago, my family decided to skip Christmas gifts. My kids were 11, 12, and 21 at the time. I’d like to say that this was part of some altruistic, do-gooder decision we made as a family, but the truth is we realized our kids had too much stuff. So … how did it actually go?

Recipe: A No-Gift Christmas

WHAT YOU NEED

Time:  Low   Medium   High

Budget:   $   $$   $$$

  • A solid plan
  • A good giving tool
  • An understanding family
  • A desire for a lower credit card bill
No gift recipe page image.

DIRECTIONS

  1. Come up with a good plan together. As a family, we decided to do two things. First, we moved our annual summer vacation to Christmas week so we could break away from the holiday busyness and just relax and enjoy each other. Second, we decided to spend the money we would otherwise use to buy gifts and shop for others instead. The kids still received gifts from relatives, but our family budget for gifts went instead to our vacation and giving.
  2. Get a good teaching and giving tool. I love watching my kids pore over the pages of the World Vision Gift Catalog. It reminds me of the excitement they used to have when they were little kids making their lists for Santa.
  3. In the past, my kids sat at the kitchen table with the catalog and a big red sharpie. They would circle items that they wanted: items that total far less than what we would typically spend on needless toys or games, but will be priceless to those who receive them. It fills my heart to see the catalog full of red circles and dog-eared pages and to hear their conversations about which gifts will be needed most.
  4. If you survive (and you will), you might have started a new tradition. This year, we are once again getting ready to celebrate the holidays with no department stores, no wrapping paper, and no standing in long lines with crabby shoppers. Our tree won’t have gifts under it, but our kids won’t miss them. We’ve learned that there truly is more joy in giving than receiving.

 

SEE MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS

Recipe: No Gift

WHAT YOU NEED

Time:  Low   Medium   High

Budget:   $   $$   $$$

  • A solid plan
  • A good giving tool
  • An understanding family
  • A desire for a lower credit card bill

DIRECTIONS

  1. Come up with a good plan together. As a family, we decided to do two things. First, we moved our annual summer vacation to Christmas week so we could break away from the holiday busyness and just relax and enjoy each other. Second, we decided to spend the money we would otherwise use to buy gifts and shop for others instead. The kids still received gifts from relatives, but our family budget for gifts went instead to our vacation and giving.
  2. Get a good teaching and giving tool. I love watching my kids pore over the pages of the World Vision Gift Catalog. It reminds me of the excitement they used to have when they were little kids making their lists for Santa.
  3. In the past, my kids sat at the kitchen table with the catalog and a big red sharpie. They would circle items that they wanted: items that total far less than what we would typically spend on needless toys or games, but will be priceless to those who receive them. It fills my heart to see the catalog full of red circles and dog-eared pages and to hear their conversations about which gifts will be needed most.
  4. If you survive (and you will), you might have started a new tradition. This year, we are once again getting ready to celebrate the holidays with no department stores, no wrapping paper, and no standing in long lines with crabby shoppers. Our tree won’t have gifts under it, but our kids won’t miss them. We’ve learned that there truly is more joy in giving than receiving.

SEE MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS

Get the 12 recipes download PDF

Make unforgettable memories with your family this Christmas with these 12 ideas!

DIY, Family Activities, Prayer, and more.

Get the 12 recipes download PDF

Make unforgettable memories with your family this Christmas with these 12 ideas!

DIY, Family Activities, Prayer, and more.

My 'Recipe' Story

The no-gift Christmas idea actually started in July. My son’s birthday is in the summer, and every time we asked him what he wanted he would shrug his shoulders. It got to where I felt that we were begging him for suggestions. We pressed him until he reluctantly told us to get him some random video game he wasn’t really dying to play.

After his birthday passed and the video game was in the drawer, I told my husband that this was crazy. If the kids truly don’t want anything, that’s fine. We don’t need to buy them anything, right? It felt so strange to even consider not doing gifts.

We tossed that idea around for a few weeks and then proposed it to the kids.

What if we didn’t do gifts that Christmas and instead focused on spending time together and blessing others?

We thought we’d have to do some sweet-talking to get all three kids to agree to our plan. But we were surprised that they were actually excited about doing something new.

Full disclosure: Our youngest daughter took some convincing, but was on board after we reassured her that grandma and grandpa would still bring presents. You can’t win them all, I suppose.

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