How to simplify Christmas with the 4 gift rule! Something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year! As moms, we decorate, we bake, and we spend too much money on gifts!
Every year, all the stores unveil the “Hottest Toys Of The Year” list hoping that our kids will ask for most of them!
Most of us are guilty of indulging our kids over the holidays. We love to see them smile, we want to make them happy.
Christmas Budget Per Child
In fact, a recent study estimated that some parents spent an average of $942 per child last year!
But sometimes enough is enough. Think about it, how many toys does your child have?
Are you running out of places to store all the toys?
If your family participates in a toy rotation as my family does, then chances are your kid has too many toys!
Let me introduce you to the genius concept of the 4 gift rule.
What Is The 4 Gift Rule?
The 4 gift rule for Christmas simplifies gift-giving and cuts down on adding to the massive amounts of unnecessary stuff kids already have!
What Are The Four Christmas Gifts:
- Something they want
- Something they need
- Something to read
- Something to wear
How simple is that!
It saves your time, saves your Christmas budget, and keeps your kids from being entitled!
Something You Want, Something You Need
Using the 4 present rule has so many benefits. It is especially useful if you have several children.
We started using the 4 gift rule last year and it worked out so well with our family.
My kids were all happy with their gifts, and I didn’t spend the whole month of December searching and stressing for all the presents on their list.
Not only did I not waste my money on the little “it” toys of the season (that we all know is junk), but I kept my home from overflowing with a bunch of toys that my kids never play with.
Something They Want Ideas
This is of course my children’s favorite gift option.
This is the one we can splurge on. You should have plenty of ideas of things they want.
Pick the one you think will be best.
Some people use this option to be a gift from Santa.
Something They Need Ideas
We use this gift idea to get something for our children that we know they can use.
We usually base it on their personality.
It can be something that they truly need or something that you know they need that they may have never thought of.
You can be really creative with these gift ideas.
Something They Need Gift Ideas:
- Magnet Building Tiles – For toddlers who love to build.
- Aqua Doodle Mat – For toddlers who love to doodle.
- Deluxe Art Kit – For your budding artist.
- Think Box Inventors Box – For your little inventor.
- Botley The Coding Robot Activity Set – For your little engineer.
- Just Between Dad & Me – Father and son keepsake journal.
- Just Between Us – Mother and tween/teen daughter keepsake journal.
- Gratitude Games Activity Book – Fun games and activities to promote gratitude.
- Illustory Book Making Kit – For your young writer. There is also a comic book version.
- Green Kids Crafts (STEM) Month Subscription Box – Kids love subscription boxes, they are the gift that keeps on giving.
- Or you can even give your child an experience gift!
Something To Read
With technology taking over the whole world, it is so important that we instill the value of reading books unto our children.
I remember as a child getting lost in a good book, and I still enjoy reading today.
I always explain to my kids that reading can take you so many places that you have never even imagined.
Even before we started using the 4 gift rule, I have always gifted my kids’ books.
Reading books demands kids to think and use their imagination.
Nothing can ever compare!
Something To Wear
The “something to wear” idea could be as simple as a new pair of shoes, a coat, or even a fancy outfit.
Last year for my kids, I picked out an entire outfit, complete with a pair of shoes and one accessory.
This year I am thinking of giving them a pajama set, slippers, and robe all wrapped together as one gift.
I feel like I am stretching this gift a little bit, but with the way my kiddos are growing, it works out.
Want, Need, Read, Wear: How To Explain It To Your Kids
It’s a good idea to explain the 4 present rule to your kids before Christmas morning.
They may feel a little blindsided if they have been showered with tons of gifts on the holidays beforehand.
This is a good time to talk to your kids about the reason for the season.
Giving them these 4 useful gifts will help them learn to appreciate what they have and not feel entitled or grow up to be greedy in our “give me more” commercialism society.
We want our children to think of Christmas as a time to gather with the people we love.
The 4 gift rule helps emphasize presence over presents.
4 Gift Rule Printable
To make things easier I have made a 4 gift rule printable letter to Santa to help kids embrace this new tradition.
Click on the image to get your FREE letter to Santa printable from the FREE Resource library.
The 5 Gift Rule
Now some people add a gift from Santa and call it the 5 gift rule. Other people choose to give one of the four gifts as a Santa gift.
Hey, I say whatever works for your family.
Our family “believes” so we always give a Santa gift even to our oldest daughter who pretends to believe for her younger siblings’ sake and because she loves the feeling of the Christmas magic.
Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!
I hope this new four present rule tradition saves your Christmas budget and gives you a stress-free holiday!
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If you and your family use the 4 gift rule, please let me know in the comments!