My Christmas gift guide

What I’m planning for my children this Christmas and some things we’ve loved from Christmases past.

Christmas is VERY quickly approaching. Faster and faster every day! If you celebrate to any degree I hope this can be helpful for you, if not perhaps it could be helpful for birthdays or other holiday celebrations you enjoy.

Honestly, I have mixed feelings around Christmas. There is beauty to the joy and hope the season brings but also greed and overconsumption and tricky relationships to navigate. There are parts I don’t like, parts I find beautiful and awe-inspiring and others still I just don’t fully understand or think are relevant to us. However; we still take the opportunity to enjoy time together, celebrate and prioritise our family and show our love to one another.

The last several years I have had serious grinchy vibes but for a change this year I’m feeling so much more organised and excited for this busy holiday period. Hurrah!

Advent:

In the past we have done activity advents, we’ve done book advents, last year was a crystal advent and this year my children have asked for their own personal advents. A sign of the times for us as they grow and continue to develop themselves as individuals outside of our collective. It’s bittersweet and yet an exciting time. We will be doing bought Lego advents to add to our collection. Lego is one of our most used toys (and we don’t have a tonne of toys these days living in our van) so I know they will be well loved.

Gifts:

For context I currently have an 8 year old, 6 year old and 2 year old.

I am a gift giver. I won’t deny it. I won’t sugar coat it. It’s just who I am and a huge way I show and receive love is gifts. I’ve tried paring it back and honestly, I just don’t want to! I want my children to know they are seen, prioritised and special to me and this is one of the ways I show them - gifts.

I know many like having a formula for their gift buying. Something to wear, something to read, something they want, something they need (or some variation of this). I am not that organised and I like to be able to follow my children their interests and needs. And our families needs holistically.

So what am I buying for my kids this year?

Historically we have done Christmas Eve gifts. Usually some Christmas pyjamas and a book each to help get into the spirit. This year we’re trying something different. We’re giving the December gift idea a go. (Sometimes called a December 1st box but I doubt we’ll bother with a fancy box).

In our December packages there will be an advent calendar each, a pair of gorgeous Gather and Moss Christmas pyjamas, a new nature journal and a book each. As well as a read aloud or two for the family. We’ll use these to grow the excitement and enjoy the season together.

2 year old - Claris: Holiday Heist by Megan Hess

6 year old - Lego City: Merry Christmas

8 year old - Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider by Seanan McGuire (not christmasy but following her interests)

And for all 3: How Winston Delivered Christmas by Alex T. Smith and

Alice-Miranda and the Christmas Mystery by Jacqueline Harvey.

For Christmas morning each of my children will get a sack (actually, we use pillow cases) of gifts from us. We don’t pretend they are from Santa (each to their own).

My eldest has mentioned how excited she is to see what her new pillowcase for the year is so this is obviously a loved tradition for her. As a child my gifts were always in pillowcases too so I get it’s a bit nostalgic for me (though we didn’t get new ones each year like my children have).

Kids are getting new pillowcases from Kip & Co that will be filled with (as currently stands);

For Miss 8:

Backpack, Garmin watch, Swimmers, Headphones, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles merchandise (current obsession), Nerf gun, Mental maths snap, craft kit.

For Mr 6:

Backpack, Garmin watch, Swimmers, Lego sets, Transformer, Wallet, Transformers merchandise, Right turn, left turn card game, stopwatch kit.

For Miss 2:

Backpack, Swimmers, Yoga mat, Barbie set, Little Astronauts card game, Paddington bear, Tea set.

As well as some clothes and likely a book each.

Some may think these gift lists are too much others might not think they are enough. Or disapprove for some reason or another. It feels strangely vulnerable openly sharing what we’re giving our children for Christmas. For me, I try to prioritise things we need and will use, throwing in some exciting things the children want too. I try to buy from small businesses or secondhand where I can but have also happily taken advantage of big chain store sales to get specific items we need / kids have asked for. I’m feeling comfortable with this balance but of course everyone must come up with their own boundaries and gift traditions!

We give opportunity and space for our children to be the gift givers. We have found they get so much joy from mindfully picking out gifts for their siblings and loved ones. For Christmas is about giving just as much as getting!

We’re also planning to make some bath salts and body scrubs for extended family members we’ll be seeing at Christmas time.

One of my children has already started on her Christmas cards.

Activities:

What a wonderful (and in some ways bizarre if you think about it too deeply) time of year. There are so many options and choices to make in how to celebrate. Here are some activities and outings we’re planning over the Christmas season.

We’re currently based in Sydney until after Christmas and looking forward to enjoying what the city has to offer. Planning outings to visit the Darling Harbour Christmas festivities, see the tree in Martin Place, we have visited the beautiful Christmas display at the Grounds of Alexandria already. Hoping to head to some carols and do some light looking as well.

If you’re in Melbourne, please go check out the Myer Christmas windows for us. It’s been one of our favourite Christmas activities for many years but we won’t be able to get there this year (and definitely feeling sad about it).

We’re open to what opportunities this time has for us while holding loosely some plans.

However you celebrate this time. I hope you find joy and peace in yourself and connection with those you love. If it feels too hard, drop it. If you need to do Christmas on another day - do it (we did last year). Make this season work for you. It’s not worth burning out or sending yourself broke to live up to anyone else’s ideals (including mine). Stay true to yourself and love your people hard.

Some years might look different to others, and that’s okay! Whatever you can manage is enough for now.

What are your favourite Christmas traditions? Do you have any great Christmas recommendations, for gifts, activities, movies etc - we’d love to hear them!