The KidsOutAndAbout Ultimate Shopping Strategy
by Debra Ross
It was known in my family as the "Is that IT?" story, and it still embarrasses me.
On Christmas morning 1975, after all of the gifts had been unwrapped, I scanned the floor and uttered the three words that no parent ever wants to hear at the holidays:
Is that IT?
I have no independent memory of this episode, but I can still see my mother's expression from when she'd repeat the story years later. Oy vey. Sorry, Mom and Dad.
It's the ultimate balancing act: You want to give your kids a joyous holiday, but you don't want to spend money you don't have, and you also don't want to overemphasize material things. Enter the KidsOutAndAbout Ultimate Shopping Strategy! Here it is in four easy steps:
The KidsOutAndAbout Ultimate Shopping Strategy
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1) Before you shop For each child on your list, write down a list of his or her positive character attributes and what makes him or her unique. Here are some examples for my 14-year-old: Creative, generous, practical, hard-working, relaxed, guitarist, budding astronomer, pumpkin pie maker, Big Bang Theory, loves pillows, loves pugs. |
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2) Shop deliberately from the list Take that list and match each item with an idea for a gift that is within your budget. You'll be amazed at how the gift list almost creates itself. Cross off some when it gets too large. Then shop deliberately from the list to the best of your ability. |
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3) Say it with style When you wrap each gift, save a bit of extra wrapping paper to fold into a little card, and tape it to the outside. Inside the card, write the character trait the gift is designed to match. |
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4) Opening Day ritual On the Big Day, before each gift is unwrapped, encourage (or help) the recipient to read out loud what is written on the card. Once everyone sees the gift, talk about how appropriate it is for that person. |
The Ultimate Shopping Strategy is one of many creative ways I've found to parent mindfully. Without diminishing the fun of receiving a cool present, the strategy broadens the focus from the acquisition of stuff to include something more valuable: the recognition of the gifts your kids have inside. Later, the presents they have received serve as concrete reminders of this. It helps make them more themselves.
Is that IT? It's actually quite a lot. Give the Ultimate Shopping Strategy a shot and let me know how it works for you.
©2015, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Debra Ross is publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com