I just heard about this new thing where kids get a box of gifts on December 1st to start the holidays. It sounds fun, but also like a lot of extra work. Are you doing it, or skipping it altogether?
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Nope. Now, I will say that both our kids are young adults (just started college and just graduated respectively), so we wouldn’t be doing this anyway, however I can say that if our kids were young, I would nix this idea. December ALREADY centers so much on buying things and youngsters getting gifts; I don’t think it needs anything more in that regards. Now, if you said that there was a trend of families going to volunteer somewhere or to make/buy things to donate to homeless people or households facing hunger, I could get behind that. But buying yet more things for kids who are going to get boxes later in the month… it seems so unnecessary.
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Sounds like a really bad idea to increase buying and emphasize the consumerism of the entire period from Halloween to New Year’s. My stepdaughter used to do a tiny advent calendar with boxes to open each day, but she put a candy in there or a hand-made coupon for a board game or sledding or making hot cocoa/reading together. I’ve been in several Buy Nothing Project groups, where people ask for thing they need and give what they don’t, keeping it all in a small local area, as both a dollar-saver and a pushback against the giant machine of Amazon ahd over-buying. We have a lot of people doing a “buy nothing” challenge, to spend $0 on gifts. It’s pretty awesome. People even clean out their cabinets and re-gift stuff that’s been sitting there, plus their kids’ outgrown clothes and so on. I think, if your kids wanted to re-gift some of their things and perhaps put in a request for a jigsaw puzzle to do together, it might be okay. We also have a lot of collections for domestic violence survivors, animal shelters (old towels, for example), and refugees coming in to the community. We celebrate Hanukkah, and didn’t do 8 nights of gifts for that (other than a traditional chocolate coin) - there was always a service project or two, from food for the veterans’ shelter to crafts like snowflake decor or pine cone/peanut butter bird feeders for nursing homes. I’d fight the “box” idea, frankly. It’s not a trend you’ll likely be glad you got involved in. Parents are already stressed with the Elf on the Shelf!
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I’ve never heard of this trend until now, but I agree with others about focusing on doing something selfless and positive during the holidays, rather than spending more money and being obsessed with materialism.
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@Diane_B3 @Natalie_L1 all good points I appreciate the thoughtful input. I agree it does seem over the top!
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Why not start at Thanksgiving! Coming soon! Remember how we thought it was weird to begin the Xmas season on Halloween? Next it will start after Labor Day! Its all about separating you from your $$$!
I know it’s not really the same, but I find it cringey when they start playing Christmas movies in July. I find it stressful as well.
My children are grown men but I agree that I would not get behind more gift giving. Something I did start as part of prep for Christmas was an act or word of kindness every day. It’s amazing how that can positively affect the giver and the family. It could be within the family or the larger community but we shared these during dinner. Sometimes the sharing was a reminder but it was still such a beautiful thing.
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