Is the “4 presents” rule for kids the best Christmas idea?

While every year, when one is a parent, it is an impossible puzzle to please the children; as we spend hours in crowded shops looking for the original gift ; when we spend too much money on a toy that will be used for two hours and then left in the corner of the room…

A new idea comes to us from across the Channel and we are not far from joining it. is the rule of 4 gifts !

The 4 gifts, to please children and avoid excessive consumption

Sure, we wonder why introduce a new rule when we already have a lot of trouble when there isn’t any… but you’ll see, it’s also based on common sense and four commandments to avoid excessive consumption promoting sharing: want, need, wear, to read !

The concept is to offer a child up to four gifts corresponding to these items. Which then gives:

• something the child wants (which is in his list)
• something of which he needs (and that we had to buy anyway)
• Something that he can wear (a garment or an accessory)
• Something who can read (a book) – or an activity to share together (a museum, a sports activity, a laboratory, an amusement park)

The child will therefore receive the useful and the pleasant, the pleasure and the sharing, the essential and the superfluous… what else ?

Of course, giving just one gift also avoids excessive consumption and excessively expensive expenses, but children love it the abundance of parcels under the treeand when there are multiple adults for a single child, you can quickly multiply the gifts without necessarily gaining pleasure.

A the one gift is sometimes enough to please and it’s often not what you think: my one-year-olds sometimes prefer wrappers to actual gifts right now.

This English rule also allows you not to buy only plastic gifts made in China. Because offering books, useful things and intangible gifts is always a good idea!

Feature Image: © Pexels/cottonbro