Why the Three Gift Tradition Works for Us
While I don’t hesitate to buy surprises for my kids any day of the year, when my husband and I were preparing for our first Christmas with our oldest, we started a gift tradition that seems minimalistic but has really worked for us. Our daughters only get three gifts from Mom and Dad: something to play with, something to wear, and something to read. I remember hearing this idea from a friend well before I even met my husband, and I liked her rationale: “Baby Jesus got three presents. What’s good enough for Him is good enough for us.” So, I mentioned it to my husband when we were gearing up for our first Christmas as parents. At first, we did it because our daughter was 9 months old and didn’t really need much and wouldn’t remember her first Christmas. But as she’s gotten older and we’ve added another daughter to the mix, this tradition has been so great.
Budget:
Obviously, if you’re limiting your spending to just three presents, it’s very easy to set a reasonable budget. As the girls have gotten a little older, we started sneaking two or three books or two outfits into the same bag, but we still keep the number of items to a minimum which keeps the overall budget down. Saving money on Christmas morning gifts gives us more opportunities to enjoy other Christmas time experiences that aren’t usually within our family budget.
Santa Presents Stand Out:
We don’t wrap Santa presents in our house. They are always the first thing the girls see and play with. They are usually more fun than the things they get from us. And when the girls aren’t distracted by so many wrapped presents they want to open, they get to enjoy their Santa presents more in the moment.
Kids Don’t Get Overwhelmed:
Before I had my own kids, I watched different variations on Christmas take place with family and friends. I remember watching kids being completely overwhelmed and not getting a chance to enjoy their gifts when they had so many to open. I also remember watching kids who only had a few things to open get to take their time and the parents enjoying watching their kids open gifts and seeing their reactions for everything. Christmas is the most magical holiday to me, and I want to be able to enjoy the magic of my kids’ faces and reactions to what we pick out for them. Also, when kids are little, they get a lot of things from other family members. If we keep our presents to just three, then the kids have time to enjoy these gifts and anything else they get from a family member, and we’re not adding too much stuff to our already crowded house.
Keeps the Focus on the Meaning of Christmas:
My oldest will tell you that we only have three presents on Christmas because Jesus got three presents. She is only 5, but she thinks we give each other presents to celebrate His birthday the way some of our family or friends give her a present on her sister’s birthday. I know one day they will be teenagers making Christmas Wish List slideshows (my high school students started making theirs before Thanksgiving break), but until then, my kids see Christmas as a holiday of faith and aren’t as focused on what presents they’re getting.
I didn’t grow up with this tradition, so Christmas for my kids definitely looks differently than it did for me growing up. Doing just three presents reduces the pressure of finding enough gifts and even gives us a chance to save some of the things they really want for birthdays. Our kids do get a Santa present and a sibling present, but the three gifts they get from Mom and Dad will be a tradition we hold on to for a while. It may not work for every family, but it’s perfect for ours.
