Christmas morning, my kids won’t be waking up early to see what gifts Santa left them. In fact, they won’t be waking up to any gifts at all.
Instead we’ll be eating breakfast and getting ready for the day. Maybe we’ll read together, maybe we’ll watch a movie, or maybe we’ll play a game together. If the kids are lucky, we’ll break out the Nerf guns and have a mini war throughout the house.
Christmas Eve, my husband and I won’t be helping the children set out cookies and milk for Santa. We won’t be staying up late to get presents under the tree.
Instead, we’ll be walking around Downtown looking at the Christmas lights. Freezing cold, we’ll warm up in the car, read Scriptures on the way home, and the kids will fall asleep right before we arrive home. Then my husband and I will stay up late watching movies and eating jalapeño poppers and mozzarella sticks.
Months prior to Christmas, or even days before, we don’t stress about presents for the children or even for each other. Instead we find those who need presents more than us. We’ll donate to organizations. We’ll take the kids out to buy toys for Toys For Tots. And every time a cashier to asks us to donate, we always say yes.
My children don’t need anything. If they need new clothes throughout the year, we go out and buy new clothes if they’re on a good deal. If they need new shoes, they get new shoes that they can wear as soon as we buy them if they so choose. We rarely buy toys for them but if there’s something they’ve had their eye on and they’ve done exceptionally well at school, at a sport, or at home, we surprise them with the toy. My daughter loves paper of any sort so when we find adorable paper or notebooks at a good price, we get it for her. Other than sugar, my kids are never hurting for anything. Hence, we don’t do Christmas presents for our children. There are a lot more children out there that are hoping for Christmas and a lot of parents hoping to provide even just a small Christmas for their children.
Instead of focusing on presents for Christmas, we focus on Christ and serving others. After all, it is the reason we celebrate Christmas. My children love the idea of Santa but know the truth and they’re okay with it. We spend our Christmas season giving to others and trying to find those who may need our assistance. We get the opportunity to see children’s faces light up when they see presents and parents who are so grateful to be able to give their children something this year. We get the opportunity to put food on people’s tables, to give parents diapers and formula, and to give others something a little extra for the holidays. We get to feel warm inside every time we swipe our credit card while buying something for others. We get to imagine how happy people are going to be this Christmas season. And at the end of it all, we probably turn out to be the most blessed ones because we’ve been able to use all that God has blessed us with and turn around and give to others.
And that is why this year my children will have no presents for Christmas.
