The holiday season can be brutal sometimes.
You think you're being clear to relatives and friends about what to get your kids and what you don't want entering your house, right?
You specifically tell everyone NO toys, giving them other options like board games, educational things, books or clothes.
What do you do when the boundary you've placed gets walked all over?
After we politely thank them for the gifts, my family has come up with 3 options.
1. The Switch:
This is a version of the game This or That, we take everything home and we set in the playroom with all the toys out. We then hold two toys up for one of our kids, we say which do you want to keep, this one or that one? Even though we have a 3 & $ year old they do fairly well with this "game". I'd recommend making sure to do it towards the beginning of the day so they aren't too tired while making these decisions. We donate the toys they no longer want.
2. The Ditch:
This sounds harsh, but they got you the toys you specified not to get. We aren't that rude to just leave things where they are. We ask the gift giver if it would be okay if we left those toys and other similar gifts at their house for the kids to get to play with next time they are over. Most of the time it is a very reasonable ask, especially if your kids go over often.
3.Regift:
We all know people who are going through a tough time and sometimes just need a little bit of cheering up. IF you don't mind storing the extras that you aren't going to keep in your kids rotation, keep them in a storage bin and when you know someone who's down or sick, put some of the goodies in there get well soon basket you make. No one would just want to throw things away, no matter how upset you may be about your boundaries being crossed.
Next year our family is definitely making a one gift per family rule and no toys. When you have two kids born close together and near the holidays they just tend to get gifts for three months straight. I'm doing my best to not allow my children to grow up to just want material things all the time. My best recommendations is to ask for experiences! There are a ton of fabulous local small businesses around town that sell gift cards and are so fun to visit and reconnect with your kids whom are growing up way to fast and you feel as though you're missing it.
