• PARENTING
    • POSITIVE PARENTING
    • MOM LIFE
    • CHILD SAFETY
    • HEALTHY KIDS
    • ACTIVITIES & BIRTHDAY
    • SCHOOL
    • BABY & MOM FREEBIES
  • SLEEP & ROUTINES
  • BIG EMOTIONS
  • HOLIDAYS
    • GIFT GUIDES
    • CHRISTMAS
    • EASTER
    • HALLOWEEN
    • NEW YEARS EVE
    • VALENTINE’S DAY
↑
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Parenting Tools
  • Learning Tools for Kids

The Pragmatic Parent

Positive Parenting for Connection and Thriving Family, Emotional Tools for Developing Kid’s Emotional Intelligence, Daily Routine Charts & Create a Schedule with Kids, Fun Family Activities, Calm Parenting and Stop Yelling Parenting

  • PARENTING
    • POSITIVE PARENTING
    • MOM LIFE
    • CHILD SAFETY
    • HEALTHY KIDS
    • ACTIVITIES & BIRTHDAY
    • SCHOOL
    • BABY & MOM FREEBIES
  • SLEEP & ROUTINES
  • BIG EMOTIONS
  • HOLIDAYS
    • GIFT GUIDES
    • CHRISTMAS
    • EASTER
    • HALLOWEEN
    • NEW YEARS EVE
    • VALENTINE’S DAY

5 Gift Rule Christmas: Want, Need, Wear & Read

10172 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Free printable of the 5 Gift Rule Christmas (Want Need Wear Read) plus a special family tradition for your kids to to put as #6 on the wish list this year. Plus, if you need any finding quality toys that aren’t junk, this ultimate gift guide will be your best friend. 

And don’t forget to snag your Kid’s 99-Page Holiday Activity Kit, complete with Elf on the Shelf Notes & Letter Boards, Letter to Santa, Activity Sheets, Countdown to Christmas, Christmas Scavenger Hunts & I Spy Games, and much more! 

Free printable of the 5 Gift Rule Christmas (Want Need Wear Read) plus a special family tradition for your kids to to put as #6 on the wish list this year.

The 5 Gift Rule Christmas (Want Need Wear Read) Plus a Special Family Tradition to Add to Your Wish List 

A few years ago, my husband and I sat together on the couch after we’d put the kids to bed on Christmas and both said something to the effect of, “they got way too many presents this year.” 

Instead of appreciating each gift and feeling the excitement of unwrapping presents, they had set a record for ripping through all the gifts under the tree in record time – hardly even paying attention, or saying so much as a ‘thank you’ for what they’d received. 

While I love Christmas, the feeling that my kids didn’t appreciate the gifts hand-picked and paid for with hard earned money, made us both realize something had to change.

So, the next year we cut the number of gifts they received in half and asked grandparents and family to only buy one gift per child, not 3 or 4 like they’d had previously.

At first the kids counted the number of gifts under the tree and grumbled about the lower number.

And grandparents didn’t much like the idea either, but I was happy to not have any more junk, breakable toys or toys that make noise for the next month.

But then, we began sprinkling in more meaningful experiences into the month of December, like shopping for siblings and doing thoughtful acts of kindness for our neighbors, and before long, the gifts didn’t hold as much power over my kids.

The result?

Our kids look forward to the meaningful experiences of giving and doing nice acts of kindness for others, more than they do the gifts they receive.

Each year, they get excited talking all of our christmas family traditions and have become more creative when it comes to thinking up new ideas of how we can share in the spirit of christmas with others.

That’s not to say we have stopped giving gifts all together. 

We still want to have presents under the tree and watch as the kids race down the stairs in the morning to open a few gifts, but the difference is there are only a handful there these days.

We started the 5 gift rule for Christmas right after we had our change of heart about overloading them with presents,  but we added in a special #6 gift last year and think you’ll like it too. 

Since we’re all about connecting as a family and creating our own family traditions, #6 is a gift for the entire family.

Here’s what our 5 gift rule (want need wear read) plus the bonus #6 looks like (you can download your 5 Gift Rule Christmas Wish List Printable at the bottom of the article) 

 

Click here to subscribe

Related: Ultimate Guide: 200+ Practical Non Toy Gifts for Kids That Aren’t Junk, 50 Unique Kid Stocking Stuffers. No Candy. No Toothbrush. No Junk. and Intentional Christmas for Kids: Keeping It Simple (& Humble)

 

A New Wish List Family Christmas Tradition 

The sixth item on each wish list is Something For My Family.

Having a connected and loving family means spending quality time together without devices or agendas. What better way to do this than to ask your children how they would like to connect with you whether it’s a trip to the movies together, a drive to the beach, day at the children’s museum or fishing trip in the spring.

Last year Trenton asked for a new game and guess what? At least once a week we play a few games of UNO together as a family before bedtime and it’s a blast.

Juliette put on her wish list that she wanted her family to go ice skating. While I’m clearly not coordinated on frozen water, it was still fun and we had a blast ice skating together.

Taylor, my four year old just wanted to go to dinner together at a restaurant. Pretty simple, but it got us out of the house together, and spending time talking and having fun.

Sometimes as adults, we get so caught up in planning all the details of what we’re going to do and when, that we forget to ask our kids what they’d like to do.

This is one of my favorite parts of our new 5 Gift Rule Christmas – adding on a sixth rule where each of my children shares what would be meaningful to them for our family to do together.

Related: 26 Unique Family Christmas Traditions To Make the Holidays Magical for Kids & Adults and 6 Sibling Christmas Traditions

 

Get Your 5 Gift Rule Christmas (Want Need Wear Read) Printable 

I hope you enjoy this wish list printable I created. The old version was so popular, I decided to create a new, fresh version of the 5 Gift Rule Christmas for this year.

What You’ll Get: 

  • 8 1/2 x 11” Letter Sized PDF Document
  • 2-Pages (the first is a sample for your kids and the second is blank)
  • Print as many copies as you need
  • Fill wishes and start new family traditions!

Download: 5 Gift Christmas & Bonus #6 Wish List Printable

 

Christmas & Holiday Related Resources: 

  • Ultimate Guide: 200+ Practical Non Toy Gifts for Kids That Aren’t Junk
  • 50 Unique Kid Stocking Stuffers. No Candy. No Toothbrush. No Junk.
  • NEW Elf on the Shelf “Caught You Being Good” Notes
  • 35 Funny & Easy Elf on the Shelf Ideas
  • 26 Unique Family Christmas Traditions To Make the Holidays Magical for Kids & Adults
  • 6 Sibling Christmas Traditions: For Kids to Delight in the Excitement of the Holidays Together 

FREE PARENTING GUIDE: 8 COMMON PARENTING MISTAKES & HOW TO FIX THEM

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Filed Under: Christmas, HOLIDAYS

CAN THIS HELP YOUR FAMILY TO THRIVE?

Grab your FREE copy of 8 Not-So-Great Parenting Habits to Break Today (& Simple Fixes for Big Changes) when you join 65,000+ Other Readers who Receive the Weekly Parenting Tip & Printables

**We never spam or distribute your details.

Free Baby Products for Mom and Freebies for Baby. Stock up on awesome baby essentials and new baby products you'll need and use. These baby essentials come in a variety of patterns including baby wrap, baby sling, baby carrier, carseat canopy or carseat cover, hooded towels, nursing pillow, pregnancy pillow and more.

Positive Parenting

How To Deal With A Disrespectful Teenager

Helpful Tips On How To Deal…

Kids Playing Outside at Night

8 Fun Games To Play Outside At…

get kids to clean up their mess

Tips To Get Kids To Clean Up…

see more >>

Big Emotions

How To Deal With A Disrespectful Teenager

Helpful Tips On How To Deal…

A shy kid needs a little more help navigating new situations and meeting new people.

How to Best Support a Child…

Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Son

Raising an Emotionally…

see more >>

Sleep & Routines

How To Create A Homeschool…

potty training regression

Potty Training Regression: How…

The Ultimate Guide For Potty Training

Potty Training Tips 101: The…

see more >>

Raising children can feel pretty overwhelming at times. But, those feelings don't have to last forever...

CHECK OUT MY FREE EMAIL COURSES

Could you use a little extra help?

HERE YOU'LL FIND THE MOST POPULAR PARENTING RESOURCES

72 Printable Family Conversation Cards

$5.00

Kid's Positive Affirmation Cards

$5.00

Calm Mama Kit (4 Most Popular Tools)

$26.99

POPULAR POSTS THIS WEEK...

If you're having trouble getting your toddler to fall asleep & stay asleep, try this smart toddler bedtime routine they won't fight, but will actually love.

A Smart & Easy Bedtime Routine Your Toddler Won’t Fight  

How to peacefully defuse and calm tantrums using empathy and teaching about emotions in the process. Stop tantrums by helping your child learn about emotions, name feelings, give back power and calmly handle emotional behavior.

Peacefully Calm Tantrums Using Empathy

5 Instant ways to stop being overwhelmed by motherhood and halt the stress spiral. Specific steps to take when you feel overwhelmed by motherhood.

Instant Ways to Stop Being Overwhelmed by Motherhood

parenting a strong willed child

11 Helpful Tips For Parents With Strong-Willed Children

STAY IN THE LOOP...

Grab your FREE copy of 8 Not-So-Great Parenting Habits to Break Today (& Simple Fixes to Big Changes) when you join Over 75,000+ Other Parents & Readers who Receive the Weekly Email with the Latest Articles, Updates & Occasional Freebie

We never spam or distribute your email. All information is kept confidential.

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • SHOP
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
Copyright ©2023, The Pragmatic Parent. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Pixel Me Designs