How to Make this Christmas Season Less Stressful (and Better than Ever)

For many of us, the notion of not giving any gifts to our children at Christmas is extreme, so I want to offer an alternative solution to over-gifting.  When we read the Christmas story to our children, it is clear that the wisemen brought Jesus three very special gifts after his birth.

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

Matthew 2:9-11

So, why not carry on this tradition with our kids?  Instead of an insane amount of gifts under the tree, why not give your children three very special gifts that they really want.  Even if your kids don’t have any “big” or expensive gifts in mind, you can still bundle several gifts into three separate special packages to open.  We started doing this a few years ago, and it has made our Christmas mornings much sweeter.  Last year, our oldest wanted a Swiss Army knife.  So, for one of his gifts we made a special camping-themed gift which included the pocket-knife, a camp shirt, and a small tent.  He loved it.  Our middle-son is a crafter, so we put together a special gift full of new markers, paper, an easel, and paint.  Before we started this new tradition, we explained the significance of the three gifts to the boys, and they have really appreciated the thoughtfulness behind each gift.

Here’s an idea for those who enjoy the tradition and magic of Santa…