With five children, Christmas gift giving for our immediate family has always been on a pretty tight budget. We usually have a set amount that we determine to spend on each person.
My friend, Karen Ehman and her husband have always done the “three gifts for each child” thing, representing the three gifts Jesus received from the three Kings.
What about you?
What gift giving traditions do you have for your kids?
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I can’t wait to hear about your traditions!
Since the kids were born, we've helped them make ornaments for their grandparents every year. This is now one of my favorite traditions and their grandparents love it!
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My kids are 2 1/2 and not quite 3 weeks, so our Christmas traditions are really just beginning. But we wake up on Christmas morning and eat cinnamon rolls and then open presents — just our little family. Later in the day we do family things. My toddler and I are going to make ornaments (with glittery stickers!) for her to give people soon, too.
We do the three gifts too only keep them focused on one gift for heart (something they'll LOVE), one for mind (educational or just something to stimulate them more than a toy might) and one for soul (something to encourage their spiritual growth- scripture songs, devo. books etc…) It's been good for me to help stay focused and not over-give.
Amber
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PS -I'm still so excited about your post about gifts that give back! The kids and I are going to pick out some ducks or chickens to get "for" my parents this year. This is the gift I am most excited about!!! Thanks again!
Ha! That is what we do with our kids! I thought I was so clever- apprently not :)! We do three gifts from Santa, since Jesus received three gifts, and then we do one present from us. It hasn't really been until last year, when my daughter was 4 1/2, that she really understood it, though.
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We do a stocking and one or two gifts from Santa for each child. We then give each child a gift from mom and dad. We have a very frugal budget so they are modest gifts. We try to do a learning toy – like a game, one fun toy, and something they need like clothes.
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We also do 3 gifts to represent the 3 gifts for Jesus. I really LOVED Amber's post (thanks) about gifts for heart, mind and soul. We also have a stocking for our daughter, everyone gets new pj's and then there will be 1 or 2 gifts from mom and dad. We only have 1 child so if money gets tight with more children we may change this but…for now it works for us.
Tawnda
We agreed to do our best to keep Christmas as the celebration of Jesus' birth…and to celebrate our boys on their birthdays. So, we give them each 3 modest gifts. Usually it includes one toy that will make them giddy with excitement, one book that will help to foster a relationship with Jesus, and some sort of educational toy. We celebrate Christmas morning with a birthday party for Jesus – complete with Birthday cake (which we eat for breakfast), party hats, and balloons. 🙂 Big fun!
Christina
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Jill,
We add a new hand made ornament to our tree each year. Last year it was recycled Christmas card angels and in addition, we paint each paint a ceramic house that we add to our growing Christmas village from Michaels. They cost around $5.00 and after three years, we have quite the collection. When the kids get ready to leave home, they will take their own villages home with them.
Love and Hugs ~ Kat
The kids always get new PJ's as one gift for Christmas and then we always go caroling on the 24th around to the neighbors.
Deb
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This is the first Christmas that my little man really understands the concept of (he's five). He will get one present from santa, a couple of small presents from us and then a little something in his stocking. He always gets to open one present on Christmas eve, which happens to always be new pj's (lol, what a coincidence)that he wears to bed that night.
This is the first Christmas that my little man really understands the concept of (he's five). He will get one present from santa, a couple of small presents from us and then a little something in his stocking. He always gets to open one present on Christmas eve, which happens to always be new pj's (lol, what a coincidence)that he wears to bed that night.
We do one "big" unwrapped Santa gifts, stockings for the kids and then a few other small things that they know is from us. One of our favorite gifts if our family movie box. We use the same wrapped shoes box every year and put in one family friendly movie for each person (i.e. 4 movies a year b/c there are 4 people in our family). That is our family gift to ourselves.
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We've kept presents pretty small-scale around here. I we usually get our girls two gifts (no special reason for the number). Last year, I think they each got new bed sheets (we were planning to get them bunkbeds, but not as a Christmas gift), and a little puppet theater. My sister and I had a blast making a whole bunch of sock puppets, and that was that! We fill stockings for them, too, usually with small things (last year I wrapped glue sticks and rolls of scotch tape and they were thrilled!), fruit, nuts, and candy canes. This year, we're going to start giving them each an ornament, too.
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We usually spend about $40 per child. We have 4 kids. So sometimes they get 1 thing or 2-3 things depending on the cost of the gifts. We had to teach them not to count the gifts each person gets! 🙂 Then it doesn't look fair. Stockings are my favorite part.
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My girls and I make gifts for our extended family, since we don'texchange with them officially anymore. We have a friend that was a mom to my husband and I in college that sends our family gifts every year and we open that on Christmas Eve.
Deb
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