On Christmas morning everyone wakes up with the excitement to open their gifts including our children. Loads of parents around the world find themselves faced with a problem: how much is too much when it comes to giving gifts. Parents want to make Christmas morning an exciting and magical time for their kids but are we instilling a sense of entitlement in our children? Are we teaching them that happiness can only be found by getting toys and gadgets?
Parents want nothing more than to create magical and unforgettable memories during the holidays. It is important to balance out the joy of receiving gifts and the value of spending quality time with your family. By shifting our focus from material gifts to experiences we can show them there is also fun in spending time with family and more to Christmas than just gifts. Encouraging these meaningful interactions can shape our kids to be more grateful to what is given to them whether it is quality time or material gifts.
Another aspect of choosing quality time over gift giving is that your children might show more appreciation for your hard work. Showing your kids that you are willing to spend time with them like going on a trip and just taking them out instead of just giving them a gift like a toy will show them you care. It would take it out of their mentality that Christmas is just for gifts but also for quality time.
On top of all of that other stuff it is important to remember that the true core of the holiday season is that we spread joy and kindness to others. Instead of just focusing on material gifts we can encourage our kids to engage with spreading kindness around as a form of their own gift. If it is donating to those in need, volunteering for charity, or just being nice to others around them. Having our kids do these things can show them the value of being empathetic and it can give them the power to leave a good impact on the world. These are good traits we want our kids to have.
