Posted in Holidays on November 2, 2018 by Pam Kanaly
I want to share a cool thing I read on the website Money Saving Sisters. It’s about how to cut costs at Christmas. If the Dollar Tree would have been around when I was a single mother, I would have put it out of business at Christmastime. Buy lots of toys to open (fun for the moment), and then chunk them after they broke by midnight. Yet, this particular blog I read confirmed what I already knew—most children get too much at Christmas. It’s possible for them to open so much they can’t even see all of it.
I wonder what would happen if we restructured the way we give gifts. What if we told our kids we would give them four presents, no…let’s say five:
- Something they want
- Something they need
- Something they wear
- Something to read
- Something to give
I’m sure for some of us that would drastically save money and time. And who’s not all for that? I wonder how it would it change the mindset of the children. (Guess it depends on the age.)And do you think we might even be able to sneak in a life lesson or a character trait with each one? Take for example:
- Something they want. What would happen if the children evaluated what they most wanted? Would it teach them to be more thankful when they received it?
- Something they need. What if we let them take inventory of what they needed? Would it introduce them to the concept of what’s extra and what’s necessary?
- Something they wear.What if we let them pick out a wardrobe item? If they were young, would they make a wise choice? For example, a granddaughter of mine needs underwear, but she’d likely select a sweater with a unicorn hood. (Good luck finding that one!)
- Something to read. What if we gave them a Bible with highlighters or ordered them a year’s subscription to a Christian magazine? Would it show them that reading spiritual truth can be fun?
- Something to give. What if we reminded them that Christmas is for giving because God first gave us Jesus His son? Would it motivate them to give to someone else? (It might even be something that didn’t cost a dime like an apology, a smile, ora handmade craft.)
As moms, we don’t have to fall into the false belief that more is better. Actually, less is more. It fosters simplicity, and that fosters a grateful spirit.
Are you willing to try it? I am.
About Pam Kanaly
Aloha! I’m Pam Kanaly, President and co-founder of Arise Ministries. But actually, I think Arise found me wanting to bless single moms years ago. Ministry was never on my mind as a kid. All I wanted to be was a hula dancer. So Mother enrolled me in the tiny tots’ class. Guess God knew I’d have two grandbabies born in Hawaii. I love the great outdoors. You might even find me spending time with my husband grizzly bear watching or camping. In fact, it was on a turkey hunt that God gave me the name Arise Ministries in 2002. I suppose it’s a good thing that I majored in Grammar in college since I love to write words of encouragement to single moms.