Why My Kids Go Christmas Shopping
Earlier this week, I spent 2 hours with my 6-year-old picking out the perfect gift! He was determined to find the perfect Christmas present for his big brother. Now, it may not have seemed like the perfect gift for you or me, but my 6-year-old knows what his big brother will laugh about. I wanted to tell you what this unique gift is, but don’t want to spoil the surprise for my boys!
This is the very reason that all 3 of our kids have a tradition of Christmas shopping for each other.
Why My Kids Go Christmas Shopping
Several years ago, we heard of another family who had this tradition and we decided to incorporate into our holiday plans. The kids have $5.00 to spend on each family member. They can use coupons, shop online or find the item in the store but $5.00 is the limit. Since there are 5 of us in the family, then each child has a $20 budget to find 4 gifts.
Months before Christmas the planning will begin. My 6 year old decided a long time ago that his older brother needed a particular item. The neat part of this tradition is that I would never think to get my son this present, but because the brothers spend time playing together, he knows what will make a fun holiday memory.
We went shopping to pick out the perfect item. I discovered that this item had to be tested and tried in the store. We may have looked kind of funny with him testing it in the aisles, but he was determined to find the perfect one.
We continued shopping for his sister and Dad. He ended up finding the perfect gift for them for well under $5.00. This gave us the teachable moment to talk about how the price is not what makes a gift special. It’s the thought and time spent in making sure the other person will love it!
What Kids Learn from Shopping
Our kids learn valuable lessons each year when they go shopping for the other family members.
- They learn how expensive some items can be. This helps them appreciate the value of money.
- They learn to listen to the other members of the family throughout the year so they can find the perfect gift at Christmas.
- They learn to keep a secret!
Do your kids ever shop for others? What do you think of this idea of giving each member $5.00 per person to go shopping? I’d love to hear how you are teaching your kids to think of others at Christmas.
You are growing some amazing kids, Sharon! This is a great idea!