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My weekly post is up at ForeverParenting

My kids often get overwhelmed at Christmas with all the gifts. After a day of opening presents showered upon them by loving family members, and they tend to get mighty cranky. Then the novelty addiction kicks in, and suddenly everything they have must be new new new or it’s no fun at all. A day or so later, and even the presents that were just new are boring, and they’re frequently heard asking for something else new.

Now, I’m a somewhat serious shopper, and it’s hard to pass up some of the deals available this time of year. At the same time, I don’t want to encourage any whining and ungratefulness that seem to abound around New Year’s.

I started a couple of years ago with this, and it’s worked pretty well. I don’t give them all the presents I buy right on Christmas. At least not in the middle of the big holiday frenzy. Sometimes I give them things early. LOL. In fact most of what I got on Black Friday has already been distributed. For Christmas Hubby and I give each boy a few gifts, maybe 3 or 4. Then we try to get some family games and things we can do together. Add in the toys and clothes they get from extended family and they’re more than well treated.

Then, when we get into the depths of winter and all the blahs and boredom of late January and early February I have a few items ready to cheer us all up. Bonus for me is that I bought them on sale. 😀

So, what do you do to keep things sane during the gift-opening craziness? Any fun traditions to share with the group? Leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!

Earnest Parenting: advice for parents who want a peaceful holiday.