When it comes to the Christmas tradition of exchanging presents, my kids are definitely the most excited.
Being budget conscious parents, we are glad that they are still at the stage where $5 lunch pack bags (what we got for them this year) were enthusiastically accepted.
We were happy to see how even simple everyday toy like a bubble-making blower was proclaimed as “the best toy ever” – also apparent from the noise and fun the three of them had blowing bubbles in the house.
Even when they are older, Christmas will not be an excuse to splurge excessively on the kids.
We will explain that all the splurging will come in raising them – food, clothes, Wholesale Insurance, health and education – and to ensure that we are able to give them the best head start in life.
And when my children are adults with their own lives and family, hopefully they will remember how much money and time and effort were spent on them and will find it in their hearts that it is our turn to be “splurged” on.
Because as much as we enjoy seeing happy faces on our kids and our spouse when we give them gifts, it’s even better to see the happy faces of parents getting something they could not enjoy because it’s not a priority then.
Nothing beats the feeling that the best of the lot were for them whose debt we could never repay – which being parents ourselves now, is something we are only beginning to truly understand.
And that’s my favorite part of this tradition of exchanging presents during Christmas.
