Steps to Dealing with Your Children’s Christmas List This Year

“I want this” and “I want that” – these are the twins of Christmas as the holiday cheer springs near. It can be very stressful for parents when it comes to Christmas shopping, especially for little children – but you just cannot blame your kids.

Toy manufacturers begin brainstorming their “Christmas Toy Production” from as early on as in January. They create the whole ambience of Christmas throughout the year by providing snippets of what is there to come when Little Jane has been a Good Girl for the whole year until December 25th.

Toy stores that bring on the bands, candies and crackles as the month approaches, changing the interior designs of their alleys to suit the height, eyes and arms’ reach of your children. Snowflakes fall and “Ho, Ho, Ho” resonates from the centre of the mall, with Santa and his massive goody bag of toys piled up in front of a sparkling Christmas tree.

It can be very enticing for children to write up a very long list of Christmas wants that will, at the end of the month, translate into a very long receipt. Here are tips to curb “I want this” and “I want that” – help secure your financial humdrum and instil values into your children as to what Christmas should mean to them.

Teach them about their less-fortunate peers
You don’t have to fly them across the world to have them understand that some children will not receive presents this Christmas. Even an orphanage in your area will be home to many less-fortunate children who may not be receiving toys at any time of the year. If it helps, pay a visit to your local charity establishment and allow your child to become acquainted with those who are less well-off. Talk to your child and let him understand that there are children his age who may have never owned a new toy. If he has questions to ask, answer them to the best of your ability. Don’t make him feel guilty – be objective! Your answers will get him thinking by himself.

Work on an “I need” list with your child
Let your children know that you have a budget for spending on their Christmas presents. This allows them to understand that they are not allowed to have everything on their long list, but you look forward to buying them something they really need. Allowing your child to understand that money is not unlimited will help them be sensitive to budgeting in the future. It will help your child a great deal when he or she is older.

Work on a priority list with your children. Take a look at what they really want and go through the list one by one, asking them questions like: Do you think you would play with this? What can this one do? This puzzle looks really cool but don’t you have something like this already?

After a brainstorming session your child may find that she is more interested is some toys as compared to others, as she “needs” them. Let her know that, according to your budget, you are able to buy X many toys of a certain combination. This is up to you.

Have her write down her “I need” list in bright colours on coloured paper. Have her roll into a scroll (like an important document) and tie it up with a piece of string before officially handing it over to you.

Allow them to sponsor a child
After you have made the new and improved list, congratulate your child with plenty of hugs and kisses or take him out for hot cocoa in the nearby cafe. Tell him that he is really helping you out and you appreciate his kindness and how mature he has been.
Then, you suddenly have an idea. You ask him: remember those children without mommies and daddies / toys / running water from the orphanage / charity website / Africa? How would you like to help give them one of your old toys that you do not need anymore?
Since your child is receiving new presents that he needs, ask him if he would like to browse through old toys and have him give away the same number of toys he will be receiving. Do not force this upon your child. Charity is a special act that comes from the kindness of his heart. Remind him gently on how happy he felt when he figured out what “he really needed” in his new list and let him know that his new friends would be equally happy with their new toys.

If he says yes, let him pick out the toys and pack them in boxes and wrap them up himself. He will feel much more important if he does this himself.

Let them understand that money is not everything
Hug her again once she has completed her task on giving away old toys.

Tell her she has done an amazing job at makings someone else happy. Tell her that besides receiving toys, helping a new friend is just as important during Christmas. Let her know how lucky she is that she is loved through and through by you and her Mom / Dad and that if Mommy or Daddy could ever wish for anything on Christmas, it would be a very kind and generous little girl like her.

Don’t fall victim to the quick commercialised approach some toy manufacturers take to spruce up the festive month. You have to yourself to answer to when your budget goes awry. Let your children know from a young age that Christmas is not all about receiving (which entails over-spending) but it is about love, kindness, charity and sincerity from the heart!