Earlier this month, I wrote about how birthday parties can get out of control. In “Whose Birthday Party is it, Anyway?” I wrote about all the ways that we can lose perspective and how birthday parties can get hijacked by different parties until we forget who the celebration is supposed to be for. One of the ways that birthdays can get out of hand is by putting too much pressure on gift giving and getting. Have you ever considered starting a new family ritual and coming up with activities or other things to do INSTEAD of focusing on birthday presents?
I know that when children have been conditioned to expect gifts it can be awful to try to suddenly go cold turkey. How about coming up with more balance? Instead of dozens and dozens of gifts, how about having the child ask for one or two large items and then coming up with an activity he or she would like to do instead of having a big gift party? Getting to go out to lunch, go camping, a trip to the zoo or a visit with grandparents might be a much bigger celebration and a great deal more fun than opening a few gifts. Sometimes, a child doesn’t really “need” any more stuff but there are things that he or she does need. A couple years ago, my son started asking for money to be put into his college savings account for birthdays and holidays—this way he felt like he was building his savings, and getting exactly what he felt he needed and wanted. It might not be as fun for grandparents and relatives, but it does encourage a child to take the focus off of consumerism and gifts.
It might take some time to make the shift if your child is used to gifts meaning birthday. If you are a new parent and just starting out with your family traditions, you might consider ways you can make the birthday celebration about something other than gift giving and getting from the very beginning.
Also: Save Money on Birthday Gifts