Worst Gifts from Santa
From LoveToKnow Christmas
If you have children, knowing how to avoid the worst gifts from Santa is the key to having a successful Christmas celebration.
What are the Worst Gifts from Santa?
Age appropriateness is the first factor to consider when choosing gifts from Santa. The worst gifts from Santa are toys that are too babyish. Stuffed animals and rubber balls are fine gifts for a toddler, for example, but a preschooler is likely to be craving extra challenge.
However, toys that are too advanced can be poor choices as well. Computer games, digital cameras, and mp3 players are popularly requested items for elementary school students, but not all kids will understand how these gadgets work. If you're not sure whether an item is age-appropriate, check the packaging or do some research on one of the many parenting Web sites that compile lists of Christmas gift ideas by age.
The fickle nature of children should also be considered when deciding what gifts Santa will put under the tree. Parents who like to plan ahead often start their Christmas shopping months in advance, but children typically change their minds several times about what gifts they want. The Barbie doll your daughter loves in September may not be the same one she is craving by mid-December. The remote control car your son swears he wants in October may be long forgotten by the time Santa makes his appearance.
Avoiding Tears on Christmas Day
As any parent knows, the process of removing toys from their plastic packaging can be a difficult and frustrating experience. On Christmas day, when children have multiple gifts and they're eager to play, the task makes any toy seem like one of the worst gifts from Santa. Consider saving your sanity by removing toys from their packaging and putting together the gifts from Santa on Christmas Eve. Leave the items under the tree topped with a pretty ribbon bow for a stress-free Christmas morning experience.
Putting gifts together the night before also provides a chance to make sure you have all the necessary tools as well as enough batteries for the latest electronic gizmos your children requested.
Coping When Santa is on a Tight Budget
It's natural to want to make your child's Christmas as special as possible, but what should you do when you're on a tight budget? Experts say the key to managing Christmas chaos is planning ahead to keep expectations realistic. Children have little concept of how much items cost and most think Santa is capable of fulfilling any request they can think of. Outlandish wish lists are simply the product of a child's desire to "dream big."
If your child is asking for an item you know isn't in the budget, here are some explanations you might try to help diffuse the situation:
- Santa doesn't have room on his sleigh for that item.
- Santa's elves don't know how to make that toy.
- Santa's elves are so busy they might not have time to make that toy this year.
- Santa thinks that toy is for older boys and girls.
- Santa has already picked out a special surprise for you this year.
If your children are still fairly young, you may want to consider starting the tradition of Santa bringing four gifts each year. Give kids a clear idea of what to expect on Christmas morning by telling them to divide their wish lists into the following categories:
- Something you want – unusually a toy
- Something you need – a practical item, such as new bedding or a lamp for their room
- Something to wear – pajamas, shirts, shoes, etc.
- Something to read – a book or a magazine subscription
An alternative family tradition relating to Santa gifts is to allow each child three presents, since this is the number of presents the baby Jesus received on the day of his birth.
Learn More
This page has been accessed 274 times. This page was last modified 13:17, 9 February 2009.
© 2006-2009 LoveToKnow Corp.
Print this page
Follow ltk on twitter
Visit us on facebook