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You are here: Home / Play-Based Learning Activities / How to Buy Christmas Gifts for the Kids Who Have Everything

November 24, 2017 By Alana Pace 2 Comments

How to Buy Christmas Gifts for the Kids Who Have Everything

While I would love to buy everything for my children, we have way too many toys. This year, I want to give my kids less but them to experience more. Find how to buy the best Christmas gifts for kids below.


 

Christmas morning hits and my daughter blitzes through the presents under the tree. Wrapping paper and cardboard go flying as she rips down to the core of each git. Her excitement consumes her to the point she can barely focus on the Moana doll she had wanted for months or the Shopkins she had cut out from the Toys R Us catalogue weeks before.

 

Despite her fervour, I know most of these toys will end up in the basement. For months, they will sit forgotten. The figurines will only regain their value when I plan to donate them.

 

While I would love to buy everything for my children, we have way too many toys. This year, I want to give my kids less but them to experience more. Find how to buy the best Christmas gifts for kids below. Parenting from the Heart.

Our basement is filled with forgotten toys.

Here’s my problem

I want my kids to be consumed by Christmas spirit, not consumerism. The main reason we buy so many gifts is because I want my kids to know how much I love them. But what I have done in the past hasn’t worked. The speed at which my children open their presents coupled with the fact we already have too many toys proves my approach needs to change.

 

Prepping the family for quality over quantity

A few weeks ago, when the toy catalogues hit our front porch, I prepped the kids. “It’s much easier for Santa to know what to get you if you only choose three toys for your Christmas list.”

 

My four-year-old and five-year-old went through and circled almost every item on every page. Then, they chose their absolute favourites, cut them out and pasted them on their wishlist. We also talked about choosing books. (If your children are old enough to write out their lists, I love this printable template. It asks children to indicate one item they want, one item they need, a new book to read, and something to donate.)

 

My husband and I agreed our focus will be on experiences. We are flying home for the Holidays and will hit up the science museum, aquarium, and Christmas train. The truth is, when all grown up we don’t remember most of the toys we got as gifts. But we do cherish memories of togetherness and fun.

 

That said, we will buy our kids some toys. So it’s worth covering what toys make a lasting impression and what toys are less than ideal.

 

Related: The Solution to Forgotten Toys: Here are the Best Toys for Play-Based Learning

Christmas Gifts for Kids: What makes for the best play value and which ones are more likely to gather dust?

Steer clear of battery operated toys

There are exceptions. For instance, my son got a mini air hockey table from my in-laws and it is awesome. In general, however, battery operated toys get played with in a very limited fashion. On a whole, they perform tasks for kids and kids passively press and watch what the toys do.

 

Continue reading Christmas Gifts for Kids: How to Buy Toys for the Kid Who Has Everything here.

 

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash.

While I would love to buy everything for my children, we have way too many toys. This year, I want to give my kids less but them to experience more. Find how to buy the best Christmas gifts for kids below. Parenting from the Heart. #christmasgiftsforkids #playbasedlearning #toysforkids #bestgiftsforkids #playvalue #besttoys2017 #Christmas

Filed Under: Play-Based Learning Activities, Posts, Your Child's Education Tagged With: best toys for kids, christmas gifts for kids, gift for kids, play-based learning toys

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Hi! I'm Alana. When I'm not nursing cold, stale coffee, I usually can be found with the baby on my hip, barefoot, and racing after my two older kids. Thanks to a degree in psychology and a free-range childhood backing onto an expansive evergreen forest, positive parenting and play-based learning are my passions. Read more here.

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Often people fear responsive parenting will create Often people fear responsive parenting will create needy kids. 

Developmental research suggests otherwise. 

The more reliably and compassionately that we respond to our children’s needs, the more secure and assured they feel to venture out into the world.

Attachment & independence aren’t two opposite sides of a spectrum but two sides of the same coin.
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I remember in my earlier days of parenting when I I remember in my earlier days of parenting when I had two under two so much of my life was spent thinking I’ll be happy when…

I’ll be happy when they sleep through the night.

I’ll be happy when my husband doesn’t have to work such late hours.

I’ll be happy when I look and feel like myself again and not a feeding troth 😬😬😬

As it turns out this struggle with finding happiness isn’t unique to me or parenting. 

Collectively our mental health is suffering, but there are many research backed ways to improve happiness. (Link in bio to read more).
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Though there are countless people who understand t Though there are countless people who understand the importance of positive, responsive parenting, the idea that young children should self-soothe remains a prevalent belief.

Though this ideology is well-intentioned, it actually goes against what we know about human development.

Babies come into the world highly dependent on responsive caregiving not only for nurturance and protection but also to foster social and emotional development.

While it may seem that leaving a child to cry will help her learn to cope, it actually floods her brain with cortisol. She doesn’t learn to self-soothe but instead to shut down.

Though it may seem counterintuitive to some, independence is fostered through responsive care. The less stressed a child feels, the safer he feels to explore his world. The less stressed he feels, the more appropriate his emotional responses become.

This is first seen in late infancy but pervades through childhood and adulthood.

Have any questions about these findings? Feel free to comment below or send me a message!
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So often independence and attachment are thought t So often independence and attachment are thought to be mutually exclusive.
However, research shows that in order for children (and adults) to be independent, they need to feel safe and secure within their closest relationships. In childhood, this means having caregivers who respond to distress and both emotional and physical needs.
In adulthood, people who have responsive and caring partners feel more stable and comfortable being independent.
So hold and comfort those babies.
Hug and respond to your kids.
Love and hold space for the adults you are closest to.
Attachment fosters independence.
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