4 Gifts for Christmas
Limited Gift list; Gift categories; The variations; For kids and adults; Only 1 gift from Santa; Gift Ideas.
Not sure what to get your kids(s) or your spouse for Christmas? Limited gifts is an idea I saw on Pinterest years ago and have been implementing with our kiddo ever since he was able to understand Christmas.
Nowadays with the internet, blogs, Instagram, TikTok, etc. there are indefinite gift ideas available. Have you noticed that finding gift ideas is usually not the problem? Finding the “right” gift actually is what is hard to accomplish. I have found that a limited list has been helpful in finding the perfect gift.
The variations to this limited gift giving method
It’s a trend that has gained attraction over the past few years on social media. Parents commit to give their children a set amount of presents. As you will notice, there are different variations to this method. The common denominator is that there is a set amount of gifts allowed. As far as which method if best, I believe that is to your discretion.
What is the 3 Gift rule?
This method narrows the amount of gifts given to three.
- (1) Something they want
- (2) Something they need
- (3) Something to read
What is the 4 Gift rule?
This method narrows the amount of gifts given to four.
- (1) Something they want
- (2) Something they need
- (3) Something to read
- (4) Something to wear
Bam! And that’s it! No need to go overboard. Most kids will get other gifts from other friends and family so don’t put the pressure on yourself to provide it all.
What’s the 5 Gift rule?
This is exactly the same as the 4 Gift rule except for one addition to the list of four.
- (5) Something they don’t know they want, but you do OR
- (5) Something from Santa Claus.
As you can see, all methods are all very similar and can cater to any family whatever their values are. As for us, we are currently using the 5 Gift rule since kiddo still believes in Santa Claus.
I’ve created the above Christmas Gift Idea checklist to help you keep track of your gift ideas for each category. Be sure to click on it to get a printable copy.
Why a limited gift amount?
I was not even pregnant when I saw this limited gift giving trend and knew I wanted to implement it once we started our family. Why? Because I didn’t want to create inconsistency when it came to the Holidays. Kids thrive on routines and schedules and I knew that I wanted to keep this idea in the back of my mind to be ready and prepared when the time came.
I’m also a strong believer in quality over quantity and I knew that this method did just that. It made my husband and I think long and hard on what gift to give for each category. That way, we didn’t just buy gifts for the sake of buying gifts; we had an actual purpose in mind.
Having a purpose and a set of categories to stick to also made it easier to not go overboard. It can be very easy to overspend on gifts when there are no set rules or boundaries. Many even go into debt from buying gifts for the Holidays. I didn’t want that to happen to us and for that reason, we’ve implemented this method in our family.
Is it hard?
Yes, it can be if you’ve never used it before. For some people, setting a limit for gifts usually entails a dollar amount for each person OR a general budget for all the gifts that need to be purchased. That can still apply to the limited gift giving methods listed above. What’s important to also keep in mind when shopping is: Which category does this item belong to?
If a category has already been filled, you need to move on and find items for the other categories. The categories are there to guide you and to make you conscious of what you are purchasing. They act as a checklist and get you to expand your “gift giving” mindset.
That parent “guilt”
“Won’t I feel guilty for not purchasing more for my kids?”
Yes, you may feel that, which is perfectly normal. Keep in mind that abundance of things is not always the answer. Even when kids get a whole bunch of toys, they almost always play with just a few of them.
Instead of buying a large quantity of gifts, focus on the quality and on what your little one actually wants and plays with.
Before the Holidays
Ashley from Arrows & Bow is a wife, mother of four and is all about “finding joy in the in-between”. In her blog post A Very Merry Minimal Christmas, she shares that the first step she takes is to clean out! I completely agree with her. Cleaning out your home and the kids’ toys before the Holidays is great for so many reasons.
- You get to see which toys are actually being played with (they are usually the ones on top) VS the ones that are not. This also gives you insight on what you kids actually like.
- By cleaning out, you get the chance to throw away broken toys.
- You can also donate the ones that have been well loved and no longer played with so that other kids can enjoy them.
Once you’ve decluttered, it’s the perfect opportunity to create zones and organize all of the toys. If you need guidance, check out my blog post on How to Organize Toys.
Need some simple ideas?
Ashley shares some fun and simple gift ideas for her husband, for them as a couple, for their kids as well as for their family on her blog entitled A Very Merry Minimal Christmas. I love how she ends her blog post with this statement:
“Overall, don’t overthink it – especially this year, our time with loved ones is the very best and anything from the heart will be perfect! Enjoy the time with each other and have a great holiday season!”.
Be intentional with your limited gifts and follow your heart this Holiday season. Be sure to share this blog post with people you know will enjoy it.
