Why We Are Doing A No Toy Christmas

This year our, we are going to focus on memories and tradition and try out a no toy Christmas.

Oh…the memories of a living room full of wrapping paper, toys, laughter, and love. So much fun. Two or three hours later, all the toys have already been played with and our house was a mess. A few hours after that, much of the Christmas excitement had worn off.

The old toys are all but forgotten, but the chaos and clutter remain long after the excitement over the toys has worn off. Over the next few days, we would try to find homes for all our new stuff, figuring out if we could part with the rarely-played-with old stuff.

Many of the toys were just gifts given for the purpose of giving a gift. Not even anything we wanted or needed. Filler for under the tree, the fourth gift because “I already had four for your sister” style gifts.

Now that I am a parent, I realize that all of this comes with the stress of purchasing the gifts, hiding and wrapping them, and then the struggle of decluttering with kids who think they need everything. Not to mention the environmental and financial burden of all of this.

I peak into their room full of unnecessary plastic, a huge pile of almost-never played with stuffies, missing pieces, broken legos, and stuff everywhere, I feel anxiety. The anxiety of chaos and the guilt of what all this means for the environment.

And I need it to end.

So, this year, we are doing a no toy Christmas

My kids certainly don’t need new toys. And, they are happier with fewer toys. As am I. So we are taking a break from toys this year. Will they get gifts? Of course. I am planning a family gift. And both kids will get some Christmas jammies. We also will each get our traditional holiday ornament and a few treats. But no toys.

Memories not Things

Christmas represents so much more than gifts and toys. While I know this is an important part for kids, I want to cultivate the idea that Christmas is more about the memories, family traditions, and joy. I want to create a culture of giving, rather than receiving. And that time spent together and memories that we create can be the best gift of all.

We are going to encourage our loved ones to give gifts of experiences (or even much needed clothes) rather than toys. I know that some of our relatives (my nieces and nephews) will have a hard time sticking to this rule, and I understand that. To them, giving their cousins toys is as much fun as receiving them. I don’t want to take that experience away from them.

A no toy Christmas to create space

I hope that by celebrating a toy-free Christmas, we will be able to create more space for memories. Hot chocolate and Christmas lights, holiday parties and family movie nights. Lots of Christmas snuggles, and fewer messes. Less time spent shopping and more time cooking comforting dinners. Less time wrapping and more time with my feet up (although I will miss my traditional drink prosecco, watch a cheesy Christmas movie, wrap day!).

It is November as I write this. And I am looking forward to a more minimalist holiday season. But, gift giving often gets the better of me and I find myself roaming through shops buying unnecessary gifts. This year, I am committing to a no toy Christmas. I hope in January I can let you know how it goes, and that we had a better Christmas as a result.

In the end, I hope we can make a tradition out of this. I know there will be years when the kids want big gifts, like bikes and computers and Christmas is the time to give them. But, for the most part, I hope we can separate ourselves from the clutter and consumerism of Christmas and create memories and tradition.