My kids are all teens now—19, 15, and 13—but if I could go back in time, starting when my youngest was born, I’d make sure Santa only bought my kids lower-cost, boring gifts. Why? I have several reasons why Santa shouldn’t bring the best gift. If your children are young, hear me out and see if you agree.
When our kids were young, we didn’t have much money. We tended to get our kids practical gifts, and Santa got one big, fun, expensive gift for each child. We thought we were smart by having Santa bring only one present (we got the rest), but we erred when we had Santa bring the most expensive gift. Here’s what we learned.
Why Santa Shouldn’t Bring Your Kids Best Christmas Gift
If Santa brings the best, most expensive present every year, your kids, like ours did, may develop unrealistic impressions.
Kids Think Santa Doesn’t Have a Budget
Most kids think Santa brings them what they want, regardless of price. For instance, when my daughter was eight, she wanted a sewing machine. That was out of our price range for a present, but thanks to a Black Friday sale, I got the sewing machine she wanted at 50 percent off. Who gave her the gift? Santa. Boy, was that a big mistake.
While she understood her dad and I had a Christmas budget, she thought Santa didn’t, and in future years, she asked Santa for expensive presents, sure he could deliver. However, each year going forward, she was disappointed because she thought Santa brought her an expensive present one year, so he should be able to every Christmas.
You Should Get Credit for the Nice Presents
Besides creating unrealistic expectations by giving her that gift from Santa, her dad and I lost out on the credit for the best present she ever received. Yes, she now knows the truth about Santa, but when it comes to that gift, she still talks about how Santa gave her the best gift ever.
Kids May Feel Santa Is Unfair
Finally, if you can give expensive gifts from Santa, other kids at school who receive smaller, less costly presents from Santa may feel that Santa likes other kids better. Having Santa bring smaller gifts helps other kids avoid disappointment. Some parents even go so far as to say that Santa usually brings smaller gifts because he needs to fit so many in his sleigh.
Final Thoughts
If your kids are young now, consider the rituals you establish around gift-giving. If Santa brings the nicest present, that’s what your kids will expect year after year after year. However, if you buy all the nice gifts and Santa buys something like a $20 board game, that’s what your kids will expect. If I could do it over again with my kids, I would buy nice presents for my kids and let Santa buy the smaller ones.
Read More
Three Lessons I Learned Buying Christmas Gifts for Teens
What to Do When You’re Overspending at Christmas
Three Things You Can Do to Make Money for Christmas
Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in Arizona where she dislikes the summer heat but loves the natural beauty of the area.
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