It might be a little late in the game for these goodies but I needed to make some for my Holiday Planner anyway and I figured I’d share them here just in case anyone else could use them. They really aren’t anything fancy but I did try to make a couple of festive options to help you feel a little more in the Christmas spirit.

We plan to start implementing the 3 or possibly 4 gift rule in our home because things are just so expensive and our kiddos really have everything they need and a lot of what they want so we don’t want them asking for tons of things that they won’t or can’t use. We really want them to stay focused on the reason for the season … we are dedicating these weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas for an Advent Study. We also want them to think about gifts and appreciate the time, thought, and money that goes into each gift they receive and not what they expect to find under the tree.

We also thought it might be helpful to have a ‘wish list’ of sorts for the kids to think about what they might like to get or about things they might need. We have included a space for their favorite colors, collections (or superheroes, or interests), as well as a place to jot down their sizes so I can write them in my Shopping Guide.

These prompts help them to come up with ideas of things related to activities that they actually do or want to do. Things they need can include anything from a new calculator, to a The bottom lines allow them to list items that they may want to try or that they have an interest in so their imaginations can run free!

We do remind the kiddos that while they can list ANYTHING they like on their wish list, they may not receive EVERYTHING that they list. It is best to list some things that are a little more budget-friendly… we don’t tell them our budget beforehand and if they insist on something expensive we may just gift them some money to go towards that item and they will have to work and save to purchase it on their own.

You can also choose to do a special ‘Christmas Eve Box’ with things that can be opened on Christmas Eve. My kiddos love to watch a movie with hot cocoa and popcorn so we may have a box for them to open that includes a bag of microwave popcorn, a package of hot cocoa or a new mug, a box of candy, a movie to watch, and maybe some PJs or new blankets for snuggling with while watching the movie… or we may just pull out our Movie Night supplies and have a special movie night.

The Shopping tracker gives me a place to keep track of the items I plan to purchase and where I plan to get them plus a place to check off when I ordered the gift(s) and received them. If we decide to do a ‘Santa gift’ we can write that in as well as anything we might want to purchase for stocking stuffers. I have even included a place to write in my budget. I really like the idea I found in this post HERE but I haven’t actually used it this year.

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Example 1:

$480 for 5 kids = $96 per kid

In this method, each child gets the same amount allotted to them for gifts. This is the method I have always used.

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Example 2:

Budget = $480

Kids ages = 16, 15, 12, 10, 7 = 60 Total Years

Divide Budget by Total Years = $480/60 = $8/per year

Multiply each kid’s age by the yearly rate =

16 x $8 = $128; 15 x $8 = $120; 12 x $8 = $96; 10 x $8 = $80; 7 x $8 = $56

In this method, each child gets a different amount allotted according to their age. This method might actually work out better as older children sometimes have things they need that cost a little more. While this may seem a little unfair it may not be as older children generally have more responsibilities than the younger ones which may not always seem fair either.

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I also use the back of the sheet to jot down any other important notes that I may need for future reference. Both of these can be saved and put into our Holiday Planner for future reference… birthday ideas and such.

Here is one more I just made up that could be used for any gift buying that you want to keep track of:

This brings me to a kind of touchy subject for some people… gift-giving to special needs children. It can be difficult to choose an appropriate gift for a child with different abilities, especially when they aren’t as developmentally mature as other kids their age. Some kiddos have certain sensitivities or don’t like socks that go past their ankles. Others get way too over-stimulated by certain things or foods, or maybe they are sensitive to flashing lights… the list could go on and on and on… trust me.

We often like to offer suggestions for gifts for our special needs kiddos and often these are simple little fidgets or sensory items because they can be picky about other things and one of them has a tendency to destroy all toys in a short amount of time. Many times I am countered with responses about the gift being too childish or not challenging enough. I really don’t want to tell someone that he broke that expensive remote-controlled robot before he actually even got to play with it or that he refuses to wear the $50 pair of shoes that he insisted he wanted … yeah, it has happened more times than I can remember. HERE and HERE** are some of our favorite gifts for our special needs kiddos if you need ideas to ask about.

It happens with our typical kids as well. I have had children ask grandparents and other family members for items that they know I wouldn’t approve of. Thankfully, these adults usually ask me beforehand but I have sent items back with the gift-givers when they have tried to gift things that I didn’t approve of… does that sound a little Grinch-like? Maybe, but we have rules that need to be respected no matter what the reason. Other parents are the same and their rules need to be honored and respected as well.

My kiddos don’t get phones before 16 and only then when they have a job that means they will be away from home. We also don’t allow electronics in the bedrooms and video games must be rated E for everyone. I also have guidelines for clothing as some of the current fashions are truly not suitable for children to be wearing in public. Some people say I am too strict or old-fashioned but as parents, we must protect our children from the evils of the world. Once they have seen or heard things they can’t be unseen or unheard and some of these things can cause irrefutable damage to our children.

Many times we opt for games that our kiddos can all play together which helps to strengthen family bonds and encourage acceptable social interactions. We also love the experience gifts like passes to the zoo or our favorite museum. I keep a running wishlist on Amazon as well so that anyone can check it out if they really want to get something that the family can and will use.

Sometimes the best gift is to just be there to help out when they are having a rough day or even a gift card so they can purchase what the child wants or needs. When in doubt you should always ask the parents because they are usually the ones who know their kiddos the best. Don’t just buy things because you think the child ought to have them or that they should be using them by whatever age they are… it just doesn’t always work out well and the parents end up dealing with the behaviors that come with the fact that the child gets frustrated with the gift or that they end up destroying it.

We do truly appreciate every gift that people buy and bring to us but sometimes the gifts just aren’t practical and we end up gifting them to other families as we just can’t use them due to one reason or another. I’m really hoping that these guides can help other families out just as they have been helping us out as well. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to do Christmas and you just need to do what works for your family!

Merry Christmas!