Anne-Charlotte PasseraIt’s Christmas time, what gifts to give to kids?
As the holiday season is finally upon us, are you done with the Christmas shopping for the kids?
If you live in North America, you just might be waiting for Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals to get it done. Perhaps you are more of a planner and are already done with it. If you are a last-minute person, maybe this list will be useful to you. But where should you start?
How to budget your Christmas gifts
First and foremost, you need a budget, right? For single moms, the budget is going to be super important because in most instances money might be tight.
Did you know that on average in America, parents spend $330 per child on Christmas gifts? So that would mean that as a single parent it would represent $165. That can be a lot. As a parent, we tend to spoil our kids and give or at least try to give them everything they want but don’t necessarily need.
So how do you decide on how much to spend?
Either you have an idea of what Christmas gifts your kids want ahead of time and budget accordingly or look at your finances and decide how much you can spend on Christmas gifts and stick to it.
Another way of budgeting is by putting money aside all year long for Christmas gifts or buying gifts for the following Christmas throughout the year. The amount you are willing to spend is really up to you and the lifestyle you have.
Sticking to your budget is key. There is no need to put yourself into debt just to make a kid happy for a material thing that they might stop using 3 months down the road.
How to pick out (Christmas) gifts for kids
The general rule of thumb in picking Christmas gifts for kids is as follow:
- a gift they want;
- something they need;
- an item to wear;
- something to read;
- an activity to do.
Of course, you don’t have to buy it all. Grandparents love to buy crap for their grandkids, so let them look good and buy the something they want part. It’s usually the biggest ticket item and not always in our budget.
Pick one or two gifts to give your kids. When family members ask you what they can offer your kids for Christmas just go through that list. So really at the most, they should only have 10 gifts to open all together from you and your family and they don’t all have to come from one category. Diversify the gifts.
I know it doesn’t seem a lot compared to Dudley (Harry Potter’s cousin) who would get 27 gifts for his birthday alone and still not be happy. But do you really want your kid to be like Dudley? Because if you buy that many gifts, there is a strong chance that your child will.
Gifts kids want
Blondie Bear has been wanting a drone and a massaging chair for the last 4 or 5 years. Do you think I bought them for him? Nope. Will I? Nope. If I could afford it, would I? Nope.
First of all, he is now 13 years old and doesn’t need those things. Secondly, they are really expensive and not necessary. So it’s not because he wants it that he will get it.
My kids can tell me what they would like. We don’t really make lists and we don’t believe in Santa. I never lied to my kids about it. We talk about Santa but they have always known that mommy is the one buying and wrapping the gifts and that Santa does not exist. But we like the fantasy of it.
Generally, I’ll only get them 1 big item pending on my budget from what they ask for. I DO NOT buy everything on the list as it’s not a grocery shopping list and neither should you.
If there aren’t any hot-ticket items, pick the gifts he wants within your budget range and ones that make sense. There is no need for unnecessary crap. It really shouldn’t be about the quantity but rather the quality.
Something to think about
My mother would get an orange from her parents at Christmas because that is how poor they were. Although my kids always got more than an orange, I never left a store with a cart full of toys during Christmas and you shouldn’t either. This is called Responsible Parenting. We have become a society of overconsumption and we need to stop a second before buying and ask ourselves:
- is this useful?
- does my child need this?
- is it beneficial to my child?
On a side note, at age 1 or under, they don’t really NEED anything. They’ll have more fun playing with the wrapping paper than with the content and won’t remember any of it. If you are to give a toy, pick one made of wood or cardboard. They cost more but last longer and are better for the environment. Remember QUALITY over quantity.
Gifts kids need
I’ve been buying my kids each Christmas a pyjama, underwear, and socks for the last few years because it’s something they need. I use Christmas to give it to them so that it makes it look like there are a lot of gifts under the tree but it’s just an illusion.
As there are always some great deals around Christmas, this might be a good time to buy the new pair of ice skates they actually need or any other sporting equipment for example. Just look for something useful that they would like but wouldn’t have thought of.
Getting gifts kids need are perfect stocking stuffers. Who doesn’t need deodorant, some toothpaste pills for when they go camping or some plain old candy?
Gifts kids can wear
Kids grow up fast, so refreshing the winter wardrobe might be a good reason to buy a new sweater or a new pair of gloves at Christmas. Clothing is always useful for kids, just don’t go crazy. Always buy a size bigger to make the clothing last a little longer.
Pants are always useful as somehow the knee area seems to always get destroyed….
Grow with me pants are the new way of making pants for babies and toddlers last longer.
Gifts kids can read
Personally, I’ve always gotten at least 1 book to read for my kids at Christmas. When they were little it was more about the classics such as Dr. Seuss or The Little Prince or a board book to learn about the alphabet.
Now that they are older, I try to find books that they might find interesting based on their interests or I ask the librarian about popular books kids are reading these days. Also, you don’t necessarily need to buy them new.
Another great Christmas gift idea for kids is a magazine subscription. Kids love receiving things in the mail. At least with this, it will be like receiving a gift every month. One idea of a magazine subscription is with National Geographic for Kids. Blondie Bear had it and really enjoyed it. You can even ask the grandparents to contribute.
Furthermore, you could try to pick a book that ties in with an activity you are planning to do such as a play, an exhibition, an outing, an activity or even a vacation.
Gifts kids can do
As our kids get older, it’s hard to find Christmas gifts for them especially if you have a really tight budget. Sometimes an activity and actually spending time with them can make a much better gift than some random toy. It might be pricy, but the rewards priceless. Just put money aside or ask for the family to contribute.
Here are some ideas:
- Take them to see a musical and buy a book or something that ties into the theme of the musical;
- If you can afford it, take them skiing for the day or have them take a skiing class. Let them try out the slopes with the new pair of gloves you got them;
- Try an Escape room and learn to work together to solve a problem;
- Take a trip somewhere with them but make sure they understand that the trip is the gift;
- Have them take a lesson of anything such as skateboarding, rock climbing (indoor), cooking, etc.;
- Take them to the spa and get a massage together (Strom Spa in Montreal);
- Go to the ceramic café and create your Christmas gifts for each other.
For more ideas of activities you can do, read our December issue for family activities to do in Montreal.
What Christmas means to us
Christmas shouldn’t be about how many presents are under the tree. It’s a monthly celebration for us as we always kick it off with La Marche aux Flambeaux which raises money for the Montreal food bank, followed by the picking of our tree usually at our local school to help them raise money for various projects.
Then, we have fun decorating our tree and the house without going overboard while listening to Christmas music. I personally enjoy bringing the gifts home, hate having to wrap them but love putting them under the tree way before Christmas in order to get the kids excited for their new pair of underwear!
Finally, we have our Christmas meals with our family and friends and that is Christmas to us and the presents are just an added bonus.
My little moment of honesty:
Even though I don’t tend to buy my kids crap, I do have a tendency of spending more than I can afford. Even with a budget idea in mind, there is always something extra I buy because I feel like they don’t have enough. I too am a sucker to overconsumption. You are not alone.
If you want more specific ideas about handmade and local gifts for Christmas, read about it HERE.
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