So for us, the “rule of four gifts” is an admirable idea. Encourage children to remember that Christmas is more than just gifts, it teaches them to appreciate the things they have, it gives them clarity and calm, and doesn't fill your house with garbage. These four categories still offer a broad enough spectrum to offer them something they really love, but specific enough to narrow it down to items that fit their budget and needs. Obviously, a gift for each of the four categories will vary depending on the child depending on their age, needs, and interests, but we've put together some ideas to get you started buying gifts.
There's a fifth BONUS option I've heard of: Someplace to be. You can change it or call it “The Five Gift Rule for Christmas”. The rule of 3 gifts for Christmas is that we limit the number of gifts we give to each person. Instead of filling the gift list with as many gifts as we can, we were left with 3 gifts and each gift has a special meaning.
Plus, if your baby and little ones aren't used to having a fully loaded Christmas tree yet, now is a good time to start a new family tradition with the feeling that fewer meaningful gifts are better to give. And opening the conversation to this option before Christmas Eve will avoid uncomfortable moments of surprise and disappointment on the part of your children on Christmas morning. The previous version was so popular that I decided to create a new and fresh version of the 5 Christmas gift rules for this year. As stated earlier, 4 gift ideas for Christmas were a great starting point, but they needed some tweaking.
In the Five Gift Rule, the first four gifts are the same: something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read. The feeling between Thanksgiving and Christmas (maybe even between Halloween and Christmas) where you try to do it all: decorating, baking, shopping, cards, wrapping, movies, Christmas trees. It's not just Christmas that has been marketed the most, but it seems that every holiday is increasingly focused on spending money and buying more gifts. However, if explained beforehand (this means they receive thoughtful gifts), older children and teens may be prepared to adopt it; it could even become a family tradition that is carried into adulthood with much lower monetary limits for each of the “usual” gifts.
