Conflicted

I have to confess, I’m a bit conflicted about the whole Christmas gift thing. Not to sound like a Scrooge, but I’ve found that lots of presents just don’t add up to a happy household, even it looks impressive. I’ve seen this in the past, at assorted birthday parties and Christmas at our house. Kids who get piles of stuff don’t value each gift for what it is, and instead just want more. I realize it’s human nature, but it can be disturbing to watch. When kids get into that frenzied state of blindly ripping open package after package and not even acknowledging what it is, it’s a little scary. The problem is, we the parent promote it.

Maybe we feel some sort of validation as parents by giving kids more, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in life and would want to impart on our kids (actually there are a lot of things), it’s that life is not about stuff. Our culture as a whole values stuff, that’s why places like Walmart are so huge, but when you really get down to it, it only makes you want more stuff. It’s as if getting something isn’t enough, you have to keep feeding the fire, which is pretty telling when you think about it. We are all aware of this on some level, and yet we continue to consume. We get our kids started early, and then they become consumers for life.

Anyway, I don’t want our kids to value getting more and more stuff, but on the other hand, I don’t want to deny them everything, either. Kids should have some fun, eat some junk food, and get the toys and presents they want, to some degree. I felt like this year was manageable, though we wrestled with making sure we had enough gifts under the tree. It helps having grandparents and uncles and aunts who are so thoughtful and giving.

Another thing that helped to make the day work out nicely was to pace the opening of the presents. We made sure the kids didn’t tear through each present and then move on to the next one. We had them give each gift some quality time, pacing themselves. In the end, they appreciated this approach, as well, and enjoyed the day that much more. Plus given the state of the world and all the crazy stuff that’s going on, it’s important to appreciate what you have, and not obsess over what you want.

Okay, enough of my pontificating (until the next time). Looking forward to the new year. Thanks for reading, and thanks to chris f2009 for the pic.