Tis The Gift-Giving Season

If you’re anything like our family, the Christmas gift list began in January of this year and has been added to since. Our kids know, however, that there will be 1 gift per our yearly gift categories that they will receive.

The categories include: a want, a need, a clothing item, and a book/something to read. An additional category that was recently added is an experience. This can be an experience as a family, just the parent and one child, or one that we’re strongly encouraging is an experience giving to someone else like going to serve or doing some kind of activity that involves helping others. This season we often hear that it is better to give than to receive and what better way to do that than the gift of an experience where others are being helped or served. 

The other gift categories are pretty self-explanatory and in order to receive gifts in these categories others must be given away first, so we do a clean out of old toys, books, etc before buying new ones. If the item has not been used in more than a year then we donate it. There are local places such as Goodwill as well as local homeless shelters and thrift and consignment stores that will take gently used items. This can also be a part of the "experience" gift in giving old items away, taking a trip to donate them and seeing how your family can serve at one of the Goodwill or homeless shelter locations. 

Want List: One item from the Want List is picked to treat them for their behavior/doing well in school over the course of the year. 

Need List: As parents we know what our children truly need. Whatever that is, that is the gift given from this category. It could be school supplies, shoes, winter gear, socks/underwear, something electronic that is truly needed, etc.

Clothing Item List: For the Clothing Item List, a coat, a jacket, a gift card to go shopping at their favorite store, a new outfit, or pajamas are all suitable in this category. 

Read List: Any book that your child may want or you think they may want is great to give for this category. Go visit a local bookstore and see what books they may check out, or if they mention a book series they may be reading ask them which one they don’t have and get that particular book. A library card is also a great gift so they can learn and practice the skill of checking out books as well as nourish a love for reading and learning as they can check out books and visit the library as often as they like. 

These are just a few suggestions for gift-giving this season, but be sure to use your resources. Ask your kids or their teachers and friends about things they may mention they would like in the gift categories. Also, the importance of giving one gift per category is to lessen the emphasis on the material items/gifts, which has become a huge focus when it comes to the Holiday Season. It puts things into the proper perspective and teaches our children what the true importance of this season is, giving versus receiving.