A Nice Plus One To The 4 Gift Christmas Rule For Families
Limiting Christmas presents has become a popular way for families to not overindulge in excess and to calm some of the Christmas chaos.
What Is The 5 Gift Rule For Christmas?
As parents, it’s definitely easy to get carried away and buy too much for the kiddies when Christmas rolls around. Enter the 5 gift Christmas rule. What is it? Well, it simply follows the rule of 4 (want, need, wear, read) and tacks on a bonus gift (something to do) that the whole family can enjoy.
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It’s fun seeing their little faces light up when children open their gifts, that’s true! But there is always a risk of going overboard…and over budget.
In the frenzy of Christmas morning, as each child excitedly rips the wrapping paper off of each gift, there’s a good chance that they aren’t paying much attention to the gift. A quick squeal of delight and they’re frantically on to the next one.
It’s more about the frenzy and excitement and soon you’re left with a mountain of wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons, and a whole lot of stuff to put away.
I have seen some different ideas out there on the 5 gift Christmas rule (also 6,7,8,9, and 10 now that I think of it). These rules provide a strategy to limit gifts while enjoying the magic of the holiday with family. They all stem from the original 4 (something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read). In any case, the common theme is their minimalistic nature. The 5th gift is something your child wants to do as in, a family activity.
The 5 gift rule is a great way to shift away from materialism and instead focus on the true spirit of Christmas. It helps show kids that giving, not receiving is the best gift of all and that the value of making memories with family and friends is priceless.
Want, Need, Wear, Read, Do: Simplify Christmas Gift Giving
How To Do It:
Simply have each child write up a wish list divided into five sections. You can find a cute printable online for this or simply use a sheet of printer paper. They may need a bit of help categorizing especially between want and need.
This presents a great teaching moment about having realistic expectations and not being too greedy, so make the most of the opportunity!
Want, Need, Wear Read Ideas
Want:
This is the toy or gift your child really wants. They will give you all the ideas for this one! Now, of course, your child may add something to this list that is completely overboard, but it will at least give you a few options to shop for. Maybe it’s a bike or a scooter, a dollhouse, a train set, or some remote control thingamajig.
The best thing about this is that it tells you exactly what your child is yearning for, not just the latest hot toy or trend on the market. As they get older, it will likely have something to do with the latest technology or gaming system but only you know what your budget limit is.
Need:
There’s room for a bit of overlap here between practical and fun. Some items that could fit in the need category are:
- a cool new backpack or lunchkit for school
- art supplies
- new bedroom decor, wall art, or decals like these dinasour ones
- sports equipment, soccer ball, basketball
- headphones
- bath and body gifts sets, spa kit for girls
If you and your family are into the camping scene, perhaps they could use:
- a new kids flashlight
- walkie-talkies
- comforter or a cute glow in the dark sleeping bag
How about an instrument or lessons for something they are interested in learning?
Naturally, clothing can spill over into this category. A new winter coat, snow pants, boots, or basically anything they have grown out of and need.
Wear:
All clothing fits in this category, that cool hoodie with their favorite sports team, Converse Chuck Taylor running shoes, Pj’s, slippers, or a certain brand of jeans. Incidentally, I remember when I got my first pair of Jordache jeans at Christmas, I lost my mind with excitement! Yes, I’m Gen-X so…what can I say? Look them up if you have no idea what I’m on about. Ha!
Beyond clothing the “wear’ category might include things like:
- perfume
- jewelry (or jewelry-making supplies)
- beauty products/makeup sets for teens
- nail polish kits
- watches
- kids fitness tracker
- headphones or Airpods
Read:
- books and book series of all categories and genres
- Kindle PaperWhite Kids (or another type of E-reader)
- magazine subscription
- book of the month club subscription
- comic book collection or blank comic books with templates to draw their own
- for older kids, tweens, and teens, a mindfulness journal or fun daily planner with stickers
- gift card for your local or online bookstore (in Canada, Coles and Indigo are two good choices)
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Do:
Let your kids choose something that they want to do as a family activity. Of course, there is a possibility that they might say they want an all-inclusive 14 day trip to Disneyland or Mexico, so set your ground rules! You can just let them know to keep it realistic.
This one is all about spending time together as a family and making memories, and really there’s nothing more precious than that.
Some common examples of things to do are:
- bowling
- mini-golfing
- going to the movies or a drive-in
- visiting an arcade/game-center
- indoor trampoline/playplace
Or perhaps they’ll choose something outdoorsy and adventurous like:
- ice skating
- sledding/tobogganing
- snowboarding/skiing
- tubing
- canoeing
- hiking
- planning a camping trip for next spring or summer
- dinner out at a new or favorite resaurant
- something simple like having family game night once a month
- charity work
Helping Out Those in Need: A Special Part of the Christmas Gift Rules
A really special thing to do at Christmas time or anytime is to help the less fortunate.
- Go shopping as a family and buy toys to donate to your local charity toy drive.
- Collect non-perishable items for the food bank
- Donate winter wear to a “coats for kids” program.
- Why not contact your local homeless shelter and ask what the process is for making donations and what their greatest need is at this time?
- Teens may be able to volunteer at a soup kitchen or another charitable program in your community.
Christmas especially is an opportune time to teach kids about charity, kindness, and volunteering in their community.
Doing these kinds of things with kids can really grow an appreciation for the blessings they have in their life. It can also help to instill compassion, empathy, and understanding for others.
Advantages Of The 5 Gift Christmas Rule
- The 5 gift Christmas rule can help teach kids that Christmas is about more than getting gifts. It’s about making memories and spending time with those you love.
- Kids get a say in the gift they receive, it takes the guesswork out of shopping. You know what’s on their list and it’s as simple as buying it.
- It’s very budget-friendly, an excellent way to celebrate the season without breaking the bank or racking up your credit card debt.
- Takes a lot of stress off parents and reduces anxiety-inducing chaos that sometimes accompanies the holidays.
- It cuts down on unnecessary gifts, excess, and cluttering your home with too much stuff. Kids will actually play with the toy they get instead of it ending up at the bottom of the toychest.
- Builds traditions and strengthens family bonds.
Disadvantages Of The 5 Gift Christmas Rule
- Critics of this “rule” say it is too strict and maybe a tad Grinchy or Scroogy. Some parents say it actually cuts down on their joy because they love gift-giving and the joy on their kids’ faces.
- Some parents of school-age little ones may worry that there will be a comparison issue raised with them and their little friends upon returning from holiday break. Like so-and-so got 20 things off of his list from Santa, why did i only get 4?
I’ll admit that one could be tricky and if it were to crop up with our little guy, I’d be inclined to give an answer that explains quality over quantity and who brings the “big” gift in our house. I would say something like, “Well, Santa has to deliver toys and gifts to every child all over the world! So mom and dad take some of the pressure off of him by buying the “big” gift. It’s very helpful for Santa.”
Looks like my disadvantages list is pretty small, so I’d say this whole gift-limiting thing is worth looking into!
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Variations Of The Rules Of Christmas
If this approach to Christmas gift-giving rules seems a little TOO minimalistic for your taste, you could always use it as a guideline or go with a variation of it.
Some families who want to cut down on the commercialism of Christmas but find the 4 or 5 gift rule a bit too strict go with the 6,7,8,9, or 10 gift rules. It still provides a limit and a budget but allows for a few more toys to open. One example I found out there in the plentiful land of Pinterest is want, need, wear, read, make, do, share, feed.
Or add a couple more categories and customize it to your liking! (Oh, and it doesn’t have to rhyme).
Some parents expand the rule to allow 2 gifts per category or add new categories so there are 10 gifts total. The point, I think overall, is to know your limit and stay within it!
Quite likely, even if you do limit it to 4 or 5, the kids will be getting gifts from other relatives and friends so it won’t be like they’re going without.
Wrapping Up
As I write this I find myself reflecting on my own childhood Christmas memories. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up and some years the budget was pretty tight. Of course, as a child, I had no concept of that at the time but I get it now. The 5 gift Christmas rule trend was not a concept in those days but we definitely kept it simple in our house.
Most years Santa brought me a new stuffie, a few toys or games, and sometimes a winter coat and that was just fine with me. The stocking always had chocolate and new socks and underwear. I definitely think my parents would have loved this Christmas rule thing. Maybe they were ahead of their time!
My favorite Christmas memories involve baking cookies with my Mom, decorating the house with my Dad, and driving around looking at the beautiful Christmas lights. Listening to the choir sing Christmas mass is another.
Some years, weather permitting, Dad would fashion a homemade ice rink out back behind our house for us to skate on. Afterward, we’d hang out in our family room, fireplace crackling, and warm up with hot chocolate.
If you think I sound nostalgic, you’d be right.
And I’m hoping the Christmas campfires that we do now at Gramma and Grampa’s and sledding on the big hill behind their farmhouse with his cousins will be among our son’s many favorite holiday memories.
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Are You Following The 5 Gift Christmas Rules This Year?
Or your own variations of want, need, wear, read?
Do you have any other gift-giving rules in your family or ways to focus more on holiday memory-making? Why not leave a comment below? We’d love to hear from you!
Wishing you a wonderful, and peaceful holiday season that’s loaded with love and good cheer but light on Christmas chaos!
Until next time, K.
Kelly is the founder and creative force behind Just Our View From Here. As a first-time mom over 40, she brings a fresh perspective to parenting and family life on her blog. Kelly also explores a wide range of lifestyle topics in her writing, including fashion, beauty, self-care, and well-being.
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