Christmas is coming! It’s hard to believe we are already here and the months continue to fly by! Our calendar is broken up into two seasons: looking forward to Christmas and looking forward to summer. The season brings such magic for all ages. It also prompts some serious consumerism. I am guilty of going haywire trying to do all the things and making a list and checking it twice. This Christmas, I am trying to find ways to not get sucked into the mayhem, but cling to what is important and the true reason for the season.
One way is by prompting outward thinking, instead of the me-me-me mentality. One tradition we try to maintain in our family is filling Christmas Shoe Boxes through Operation Christmas Child. You fill a shoe box with toys, toiletries, school supplies and whatever else you can fit that is sent to a child in a developing country at Christmas time. This may be the only gift they ever receive, so in addition to sending items, you’re actually sending love in a real and tangible way. It is nice for my children to shop with intention for someone else. It is also incredibly valuable for children to see how blessed and fortunate we are to live in Canada.
Another way is by selecting a gift from an organization that directly benefits a family worldwide. As a family, you can decide to forgo some of your gifting budget to purchase items that can actually help a family somewhere else in the world. You can buy chickens, a goat, school or medical supplies, a water well…the possibilities are endless. Some reputable organizations that do this work include Compassion Canada, World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse and Gospel for Asia.
Kids have such a pure and innocent heart. They are happy to gift just about anything to anyone. Some of my favourite items given to me by my kids have been dandelions and daisies on the side of the road and handmade crafts.
As such, I am trying to instill in my kids an appreciation for secondhand items, handmade creations or things on sale. I often let them choose items for family members from the various dollar stores in our community to give them some agency over their gift giving. The whole point is to speak someone’s love language by picking something you think they would genuinely enjoy. Not just giving a gift for the sake of shopping. The wide variety of items allows for us to stay within budget but also find an item for everyone on our list. My kids are excited to buy Grandpa his favourite Macintosh Toffee for $1.50 and he is happy to receive it.
My last tip for challenging your perspective on Christmas is to do a family activity, in lieu of gifts. One year, my side of the family rode the North Pole Express at the South Simcoe Railway. We enjoyed traveling to the North Pole with Santa. It was a beautiful core memory that we look back on to represent that Christmas. Another year, my siblings and I purchased tickets to see a show at the King’s Wharf Theatre in lieu of giving each other presents. This allowed us to enjoy an outing together, outside of the Christmas season, and create memories, not clutter.
Our children are at an impressionable age. I want to instill in them a sense of outward thinking, when the world so desperately is trying to make them little consumers with their own shopping lists. This holiday season, let’s not get caught up in the hullabaloo of the holidays but rather hold dear to the true reason for the season.
