The saying goes:
Give them something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.
It's minimalism at its finest. At my particular household, here's why it didn't work for us:
- The kids thought the wearable item was replacing a toy.
- Most of my children can't read, and one doesn't even like being read to. Also, they kids thought the books were replacing toys.
- If they truly need something, why make them wait until Christmas?
For what I do instead, see that information in a future post!
That being said, I can see how the "want-need-wear-read" system could work really well for some households.
Here are my "want-need-wear-read" suggestions for each category, by age.
Baby to 2 Years Old
- Want: A toy! My favorites are this pretend camera and this boat bath toy.
- Need: Kid-friendly plates or silverware. How cute is this tractor set?
- Wear: I love jackets with ears, like this one.
- Read: I'd recommend a touch and feel book like this bedtime-themed one or this set.
- Want: A toy, again. I'd recommend a light-up toy such as this sword, or a building toy like Duplo blocks.
- Need: Preschool activity books or a workbook, or flash cards.
- Wear: I'd recommend rain boots or snow boots, or Crocs.
- Read: I would recommend Dr. Seuss books such as Green Eggs and Ham.
- Want: If you have room in your budget, perhaps an iPad? If not, a Lego set like this one.
- Need: Something for the sport of your kids' choosing, such as a new soccer ball and pump.
- Wear: Again, I'd recommend rain boots or snow boots.
- Read: My second grader loves Diary of a Wimpy Kid books.
- Want: An Amazon gift card, or a fun light for their room.
- Need: A nice, roomy backpack or rolling luggage (good for weekend trips and flights).
- Wear: A t-shirt of a band or video game they like.
- Read: Any page-turner, such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
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