Gift Giving... Our Way

I was reading through an article on a Christmas Gift Giving philosophy at Live Renewed that has been on my heart for a few years.  Over the past few years, I've been trying to figure out what is best for our family and how is it that we will do Christmas.  I think it's important to establish that now - while our kids are young - so they never know any different.  I do not want my children to think Christmas is all about them - and all about Santa - and all about them getting more stuff.  What is the balance of blessing our children, celebrating the birth of our Savior, and blessing others?  I'm trying to figure that out - and establish traditions for our family that will keep us focused on the true meaning of Christmas.

I have always loved the idea of giving each child 3 gifts - like the 3 wise men gave to Jesus.  Today, I read this - and I love the explanation of the 3 gifts and how we can apply this to 2010 - and use it as a guideline to help us stay focused.

So, here is our plan for Christmas:
taken from Live Renewed


We are going to give three gifts for each child, based on the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh that baby Jesus received from the magi.

• The gift of gold will be something the they really want - maybe a bigger item or just something they’ve really been wanting for a while.  As they get older they’ll be able to give us a gift list, for now, we’ll just decide on an item that we think each of them would really like and enjoy.

• The gift of frankincense is something that will encourage their spiritual growth - at this point in their lives, that will probably be a book or music that teaches them more about God.  As they grow older, this could include a devotional, bible, or a magazine subscription.

• The gift of myrrh is something for their body - this can include clothing, shoes, socks, or a new coat.

I’m really excited about this, because I think it’s a great way to begin to teach children, from a very young age, that Christmas is not about consumption.  And it’s not all about the gifts either.

It will help us to keep our focus on our celebration of Christmas as Jesus’ birthday, and will also make shopping much easier and less stressful for me!

What are some of your ideas?