Giving Less Is More
Photos by Corinne and Company
I absolutely love Christmas - the bright colored lights, the music, and the magic of it all! You’ll find me decorating my tree the day after Halloween, putting on a Christmas movie every chance I get, and wearing my Santa slippers year round. It just makes me so happy!
Purchasing the perfect gift on the other hand, can have me feeling overwhelmed. I feel pressure to find a present that doesn’t just contribute to someone’s clutter. Especially when minimalism and Marie Kondo are trending topics! What about buying for children? Getting so much stuff is normal for them, and they want electronics that are basically disposable after a season, when the next model comes out. It’s overwhelming, so I came up with a set of guidelines I like to follow when I am brainstorming my perfect gift list.
First, I ask myself, “can I give an experience instead of a tangible gift?” Children benefit from our time and attention more than anything else. For a recent 8th birthday gift- we celebrated with a trip to the indoor go kart track, and then her choice for lunch at Wendy’s! It was a blast for both of us, and they will be memories she will never forget!
Sometimes this isn’t a realistic option, so I like to keep it simple when choosing gifts to purchase- I think Need, Read, Want, Wear. If it's for something smaller than a birthday or Christmas, I’ll do less- but never usually more than this. I’ll choose one item for each category, because less is more. When we gift less, there is an appreciation for the items chosen, not just the abundance of gifts. These categories allow there to be a variety of presents, each one chosen for a different reason.
Need - will instill an understanding that the things we need in life are not just handed to us, and there should be appreciation when we receive what we need. This can be something as simple as socks: teaching the child that as they are outgrown or worn, it is wonderful to receive new fresh socks to wear!
Read - we should never stop learning. Que into the interests of your little one because reading is a beautiful tool and when they are passionate about learning, the possibilities for their future are endless!
Want - when they ripe open this gift, the smile on their faces will shine so bright! Getting one item that they want will be the highlight of their gift- making this item the most special.
Wear - children are always growing and needing new clothing. Those items are a gift! Let’s teach our children that something new in any aspect of their lives is something to be thankful for.
Being a full time nanny, my little and I spend a lot of time together! We are constantly going on new adventures, so I am going to gift her so she will have presents to open when we celebrate together!
The holiday season is truly magical, let’s keep gift giving simple and focus on the true meaning of Christmas!