Do you ever find yourself on Christmas afternoon trying to find a place to put all of the new toys you’ve gotten your kids? Christmas is weeks away and I’m already trying to figure out which toys my kids will not miss if we get rid of some. It was with the realization that they have so much stuff that I brought up the idea of limited gifts to my husband.
We decided to expand slightly on the 5 gift rule for Christmas. Much like the 4 gift rule, the 5 gift rule just adds a little something extra.
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What is the 5 Gift Rule?
Traditionally, although it might be too soon to call this still new form of gift-giving traditional, the 5 gift rule is made up of something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read, and somewhere to be. We changed ours up a bit but were still able to use the same idea. For us, the 5 gift rule includes:
- Something you want.
- Something you need.
- Something to wear.
- Something to read.
- Something from tradition.
No, the fifth item doesn’t rhyme, but it is what it is! Try to list something for each of the categories for each child. You might find some harder than others, but it is a great way to do your Christmas shopping this year!
Why Use It?
Why not just limit the number of items you purchase? You could do that, too. For me, it is hard to limit myself. If I attempted to stick to just 5 items without a guide, they would likely end up with too much of one thing and not enough of another. Imagine doing your Christmas shopping without any guidelines besides a number – my kids would get 4 toys and a book. By the time Christmas rolled around, I would regret not having the 5 gift rule.
The rule is also a great idea because of all of the gifts your kids get from others. Since we moved halfway across the country from our family, gifts are shipped to us. We open all presents on Christmas morning instead of opening at different times with our various family members. Last Christmas present-opening took hours. It was one thing after another and so overwhelming! Of course, our kids loved it…who doesn’t love tons of presents? But we decided to make things more simple this year.
By cutting down our own gift giving, our kids have time to enjoy the gifts that are given to them by others. Instead of 2-3 hours of opening presents, they will have an hour of present opening and hours of playtime on Christmas day. It makes the day a lot easier for all of us!
How to Switch
If you’ve got young kids, they probably won’t realize the difference between the number of gifts they got last year and this. Since my oldest is 4, I’m in this boat. If your kids are older, you may want to have a chat with them about what to expect and why you’re making the change. It might be a great time to talk about the materialistic society we live in. You might also talk about why material items shouldn’t matter. It can be a serious discussion, but it’s an important one to have.
How to Incorporate Santa
Obviously, it is completely your choice if Santa is included in the 5 gift rule. For us, the rule applies to gifts from mommy and daddy. That means Santa gets them a gift in addition to the 5 gifts we buy. If you want to include the ‘want’ item as the gift from Santa, that’s your call!
What about Stockings?
Stockings are generally very small and rather insignificant gifts that we do not include in the rule. This is especially true since the majority of items we put in stockings are small necessities: toothbrush, toothpaste, hair bands, socks, etc. For the most part, stockings are packed with items that I would buy even if it weren’t Christmas.
Christmas Gift Ideas and Examples
So, what fits under each category. For the most part, the 5 gift rule is self-explanatory. Something they want, for most kids, is usually a toy. Something they need – maybe this is something that you can’t afford to buy them except on a special occasion. Something to wear is obvious, of course. As is something to read. A tradition depends on your family – or if you want to start a tradition. You can use the opportunity to give your child other activity options besides looking at a screen for hours on end. Here are some ideas that might help you…
Ideas for something they want:
- A toy they’ve been asking for
- A tablet or phone
- A vacation or trip to somewhere of their choice
Ideas for something they need:
- Boots or shoes
- New bedding
- Winter coat
Ideas for something they wear:
- A complete outfit
- Jersey of their favorite player
- Long underwear or warm underclothes
Ideas for something they read:
- A book series
- Magazine subscription
- Personal letters
Ideas for something traditional:
- Christmas Eve pajamas
- Christmas movie
- New mug and hot chocolate
Hopefully, these ideas give you a picture of what Christmas morning might look like with the 5 gift rule. Do you follow a similar rule? Or is there something else that helps you make your gift-giving decisions for your kids? Share with me in the comments!