Get your Want, Need, Wear, Read – Four Gift Rule FREE Printable by clicking on the link at the end of this post
Most parents have experienced that sinking feeling at some point on Christmas day: the kids are completely hyper, having opened piles of presents, played with them for two minutes, then discarded them and moved onto the next thing. The floor is awash with wrapping paper, and it all just makes you feel a bit empty inside.
This year, why not try the Four Gift Rule instead?
Want, Need, Wear Read – The Four Gift Rule
Why Just Four Gifts?
This year, in particular, money may be tight and time with family is extra precious. It’s the perfect time to try out this minimalist gift-giving approach, to make Christmas more meaningful.
Children can be overwhelmed by too many presents, and unwanted gifts are wasteful for people of any age and can lead to storage problems too. The average UK family spends over £700 on Christmas each year, often getting into debt along the way.
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Instead, we can choose to focus on gifts that are really wanted or needed. This can help to manage children’s expectations around gifts, as well as teaching gratitude and contentment with what we have, and more sensible attitudes towards money.
How Does the Four Gift Rule Work?
The rule is very simple. Each person only receives four gifts: something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read
Something You Want
Children often have a clear idea of what they want – surprises may not be welcome! This gift should be quite easy to choose, as it can be something fun. Perhaps a toy they’ve been asking for, or a scooter, bike, some art supplies or games or an electronics item.
Kids are more likely to play with their toys for longer if they receive a smaller amount of quality items, and they’ll be more appreciative of what they have – it really is quality over quantity here!
Something You Need
This category can seem difficult to make fun, but you could link the gift to something your kids love. For example, you could choose sports equipment or a musical instrument, or even an electronics item that they need for their school work but could also use for games too. For younger kids, some ideas include bedding or an electric toothbrush featuring their favourite cartoon character.
Something to Wear
Most of us have had pants and socks as Christmas gifts at least once, and while this is super practical, it’s not very exciting. Older kids might like perfume, jewellery or beauty products. Novelty pyjamas or sports outfits are other options.
Something to Read
Books are the obvious choice here, but you could also consider magazine subscriptions, comic books or graphic novels.
Don’t forget, this rule can also apply for the adults in your family. You might want to expand it to include extra categories, for example, an activity, maybe tickets to a show or a trip to the zoo, and something for the family, such as a new board game or a big box of biscuits to share.
The Four Gift Rule in Action
A lot of people are looking for ways to move away from consumerism and towards a more minimalist lifestyle. This approach can simplify the Chrismas season and reduce waste, while also helping everyone to focus on family time and building traditions.
Kids will most likely receive gifts from other family members too, so they won’t feel deprived, and you’re teaching them that Christmas is not just about getting loads of presents, it’s about spending time with people you love. And 2020 is definitely a good year to remember this!
The Four Gift Rule FREE PRINTABLE
We’ve put together a cute printable pack to help you with the Four Gift Rule. Our free printable set includes a list of Want, Need, Wear Read ideas, a Wish List to write your ideas down on and fun Want, Need, Wear, Read gift tags.
To download it all you need to do is click on the image below, it’ll open the PDF file which you can then print off or save to print later
This is SUCH a good idea! I’ve never heard of this before but it makes so much sense. It’s so easy to get carried away with gift giving at Christmas (I know I do!) but this definitely helps keep it more manageable.
Jodie @ Jodetopia xx