Here in The Nerddom, we try very hard to teach our kids that Christmas is about more than "stuff" and "getting." I created this printable Christmas list to help them focus less on the stuff and more on the true spirit and meaning of Christmas.
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It might seem a bit early to be thinking about Christmas, but I've already had relatives asking for the kid's Christmas list. I figured it was time to get them working on it!
A few years ago I ran across a little poem on the internet that others were using to create their children's Christmas list.
Something you want...
Something you need...
Something to wear...
Something to read...
The first year I used it exactly as it's written, but the "something to wear" part didn't really work well for us.
We have a family tradition of opening new PJs on Christmas Eve that the kids wear to bed, and they look great for Christmas morning pictures! It seemed rather redundant to get MORE clothes on Christmas morning.
We all know kids just LOVE getting clothes for Christmas. Not.
So I decided to change the poem.
Rather than changing it to another get something line, I added "Something to give..." so that the kids can write down things that they would like to buy for their siblings and focus on giving rather than receiving.
The first year we used the list I had the kids write one thing for each line. HUGE mistake! When it came time to open presents they already knew what the gift was!!
So the next year we had them write down 3-4 things for each category, then we one thing from their list to buy. That went much better as the kids didn't know which item from their list they would be getting.
This will be the third year that our kids have used this poem to make their Christmas list, and the third year that they only get the gifts that are chosen from this list.
Yes....that means that our kids only get four gifts under the tree - three from parents and one from each other.
I realize that seems nuts to most people, but it has been a true blessing for our family.
Our kids have learned to focus on things like Random Acts of Kindness, making memories with family and friends, giving to others, and learning about Jesus by going through Truth in the Tinsel each year.
Before, they had a tendency to think only of themselves and how big they could make their "I want" list.
I've created these free printable Christmas lists with enough space to list several different options under each category.
You can purchase one item from each category, as we do, or buy them all!
The printable gives you a festive and fun place to keep up with your children's wish list for this Christmas season.
Happy printing, and Merry Christmas!!
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience, which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission. This helps me keep my blog up and running without costing you a penny more! Click here to read my full disclosure policy.