Preparing for Christmas – how to involve children in the process?

As the most beautiful holidays of the year approach, many people start preparing in advance. Some think about gifts for relatives and friends much earlier. Naturally, we cannot avoid increased expenses during this period, so starting to prepare earlier is healthy not only for the wallet, but also for the nerves.

Christmas fever, hustle and bustle has its own charm in a certain sense, however, running around the shops at the last minute, jamming in queues, complicated search for gifts and finally buying “out of necessity” causes a lot of stress and usually requires more expenses than planned. Preparing for Christmas – how to involve children in the process?

Plan gifts together with your children even before the holiday season begins

I highly recommend starting to think about the upcoming holidays now, and preferably even earlier. After all, this is elementary budget planning. And if you include children, the benefits will be even greater. Children learn personal financial management from our example. So, if we act spontaneously and thoughtlessly, buy gifts at the last minute, there is a high probability that our children will do the same in the future. Discuss together what kind of gifts will make your loved ones happy. It is much more fun to give thoughtful, responsibly, sincerely chosen and necessary gifts. And if you don’t prepare in advance, you have to buy “out of necessity”. I have no doubt that children will make interesting suggestions and recommendations that we don’t even think about ourselves. Also, if you start preparing in advance, you are more likely to get discounts. Often, various stores advertise discounts on toys, books, home accessories, etc. So if you manage to take advantage of the promotions, you save a lot of money. This is a useful lesson for children, because they see that planning and preparation make managing money much more efficient.

Getting ready for Christmas – involving children in the process

Getting ready for Christmas – involving children in the process

Offer to draw gifts!

Lately, I have noticed that it is becoming popular again among relatives and friends to draw gifts. This allows you to avoid excess purchases, unnecessary items and saves money. If you spend the holidays in a larger circle, it is worth using this idea to include older children as well. A larger gift budget can be negotiated as only one gift will be purchased for the person drawn, not everyone. Or just set a small amount of money – after all, Christmas is more of a good time together! And of course, the process of presenting gifts, when it becomes clear on the festive evening who has drawn what, becomes very interesting and memorable not only for children, but also for adults.

Christmas presents

Christmas presents

Make handmade gifts together!

In my opinion, Christmas is becoming an overly commercialized holiday every year. Excessive consumption, intensive advertising puts gifts in the first place, they become more and more expensive and important. We forget the real meaning of these holidays – being with loved ones, sharing attention, good deeds, sacrifice. I understand that for children it is a magical holiday that they look forward to all year. So let’s give them joy with gifts. As for adults, I don’t think it’s worth spending a lot. For me, this period is about traditions, warmth, sharing goodness, so self-made gifts seem the most sincere choice. Various jams and jams, bundles of dried berries/fruits, cookies and handmade candies, self-collected tea or spice herbs can become an unforgettable gift. Be sure to include the children in this process! Perhaps they themselves have interests in making handicrafts. The time spent together preparing Christmas gifts will be fun and foster a bond with each other. And the children will understand that it is not the bought gifts that create joy, but us ourselves!

Handmade presents

Handmade presents

I wish that the preparation for the big holidays of the year would be smooth, thoughtful and financially efficient. If you didn’t manage to save in advance, it’s not too late to think about gifts for loved ones, look for discounts, offer children to make handmade products. Christmas is about traditions, time with loved ones, good deeds. Although this period requires preparation, I invite you not to emphasize gifts, but to be guided by your values, pass them on to your children, and enjoy both the preparation and the celebration process.

Article abou tpreparing for Christmas and how to involve children in this process was prepared jointly with the myTU blog‘s Children’s Financial Literacy Educator Eglė Laurišonienė.

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