Quote:
Originally Posted by DrPhil
My family had money but we were taught early on that having money doesn't mean that the money is to be spent in excess. Happiness isn't contingent upon buying STUFF. So if there was a family change of some sort, we wouldn't blink because we didn't NEED gifts. We loved dancing and singing to Christmas records (David Frost and Billy Taylor/The Temptations Christmas...don't hate  ) and hanging out around the fireplace.
Decades later, I love that my parents did that. And now my family only gives Christmas gifts for the grandkids/nieces and nephews who are 5-14 years of age. No grown folk expect Christmas gifts, but if folks give it is completely up to them. As my nieces and nephews get older, they will also be taught to enjoy themselves without being obsessed with what's under the tree. They eventually need to learn that mystical Santa isn't giving these gifts--hard working family members are and sometimes hard working family members have more important things to invest their money in.
For all the broke ass people out there, whomever you are, regardless of why you're broke and whatever broke means to YOU: Be forward thinking. And if you have children, think of what you are teaching your children about money and life (i.e. happiness is contingent upon buying STUFF and NOT buying STUFF means that you're miserable and don't understand how to enjoy life.). |
My husband and I have talked about how we're going to deal with Santa Claus and commercialized Christmas. While we're not opposed to parents telling their children about Santa (because imagination is certainly important), we'll instead focus on the aspects of Christmas that are directly related to our faith. For one thing, we're going to continue some of the traditions from our own families (including the annual telling of a story my father wrote as a gift to my mother called "Gifts of the Magi" - similar name but completely different story from O. Henry's). But, we're also going to be creating traditions of our own including something - which hasn't been decided upon yet - related to Saint Nicholas of Myra. One thing I would really like to do is to have my future children select clothes and toys of their own that they'd like to give to children who are less fortunate. I've always found that giving gifts is so much more fulfilling than receiving them.