Buying gifts is always fun, but there’s also a thing of too many gifts. In fact, buying too many gifts for your kids is not really a good thing.
If you buy more and more gifts each time, your child will expect more and more every time. It will come to a point that the actual fun and the whole idea of the gifts will be washed away.
Plus, there’s the huge added cost, the more and more space you need for the stuff. And your kids won’t even spend that much time with the toys and instead will already be waiting for more.
It’s a vicious circle that many parents fall into. Among them are even Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher. Earlier this month Kunis told Entertainment Tonight that her two kids won’t be getting any Christmas presents from their parents this year. And even the grandparents are instructed to pick only one gift if any.
“Last year when we celebrated Christmas, Wyatt was 2 and it was too much… The kid no longer appreciates the one gift. They don’t even know what they’re expecting; they’re just expecting stuff.”
Other parents also find themselves in such a pickle. The key is, New York Post says to lower the expectations. Not every trip to a museum has to feature a trip to the gift store. Not every birthday should mean dozens of presents and special events. Not every trip to a store should mean new toys.
All that you get from this is simply cluttering. At one point your kids won’t even have the time or desire to play with all the stuff. They will just learn they have to have more and more.
Instead, focus on the experiences. Only special occasions would merit even more special celebrations. For example when your kid turns 10. That’s a special occasion and should be treated as such. But regular birthdays and Christmas should mean less toys and stuff and more family time.
The gifts are not the idea of Christmas or even of a birthday. These holiday celebrations are for the family. Spending time together. Yes, you can bring each other joy with a gift, but don’t rely on dozens of gifts to bring you the smile. It may be a tough challenge at first, especially if your kid is already used to receive a bunch of presents, but it’s worth it.
“All research suggests that it is experiences — socializing with family and friends, trying new activities, spending time outside — and not things that bring long-term happiness. The quicker we banish clutter from our lives, the sooner we can teach our children that important lesson”, the Post writes and we agree completely.
