My children were not sure how this Christmas was going to look without presents. I have a 13 year old and an 8 year old daughter. My son was more concerned about the loss of presents than my daughter was, she is more open to change. They both wanted to have something to open up on Christmas morning, though. I understand that and made sure they had something to open but also did not create any waste.
I asked both of my children to write a list of things they want to do. Here are some of their ideas:
A trip to get Boba.
An afternoon at the arcade.
A session at a local ceramics painting store.
An evening at the movies.
A trip to the mall (not to buy things but to walk, socialize, and grab food).
A morning fishing trip.
A picnic at the park.
I wrote their events and experiences all down on small strips of paper, placed the strips of paper in small boxes, and wrapped them with ribbon. They each got 15 experiences to open on Christmas morning. I also gifted 10 shared family experiences, such as a family trip and a trip to an amusement park.
The boxes I bought are reusable and have ribbons that came with them. On Christmas Eve we constructed the boxes together and I put the paper in each and tied the ribbon around them. There have been so many past Christmases that I have stayed up late wrapping everything. This year I was able to spend time with my children and it took no time to get it all together. It made my Christmas more enjoyable as well.
On Christmas morning my children had lots to open! They didn’t feel like it was less or different from their past Christmases.
What helped was taking them out on an experience the day after Christmas to reassure them they were going to actually do what they had asked for.
The biggest concern was if my son was going to be into this new concept of events and experiences over material items. Then, one day after we went on our first experience, my son told me that he really likes spending time together over material gifts. He loves gaming with his friends and has all he needs. I would rather not gift clothing because that is a necessity. He’s even asking me to take him thrift shopping and I could not be prouder. Knowing that he is enjoying his gifts from Christmas is all that I need to know that this was the right change to make.
We don’t need things. We need to have fun together and spend quality time as a family.
Just the other afternoon I took my children to the arcade and we played games for a few hours. They won some prizes that they are quite proud of and it was an absolute blast.
This was a big change for my family to make. It is a big change for any family to make. Opening things on Christmas morning is what society has ingrained into the public as the ultimate part of Christmas. My children didn’t lose that because they did open boxes and were surprised, and also got what they asked for within reason.
When I have shared the non-consumeristic Christmas concept with my friends and with strangers, they have all said they want to change to this model of Christmas because more people are becoming aware that they do not need things. Time is our most precious gift and it makes me happy seeing more people appreciate and acknowledge how priceless time is.
Eliminate consumerism.
Reduce waste.
Preserve our precious resources.
I hope that you and your family can try this next Christmas and on birthdays. Bring your family closer together and help our planet.