Squelching the Christmas Chaos

The Chaos before a gift was even opened!

Christmas becomes more fun every year. (At least that has been my experience thus far. Anyone older than me who has had a different experience, please keep it to yourself. Ignorance is bliss.) Even with all the fun we have, I'm sure many of you know that I do not like TOO MUCH STUFF.



Our Christmas involves three small kids, two extended family get-togethers, and (inevitably) TOO MUCH STUFF! I've become more adept at handling the in-flow of plastic toys, paper books, and contraptions, constructions, and instructions in the name of arts-and-crafts (not to mention those small plastic pieces that imbed themselves in the fleshy parts of feet). Here's some ways I am able to squelch the chaos:



1) PLEADING- This began the year Rory turned 1. It was her second Christmas, and I began PLEADING with the grandparents (mostly the Grandmas - you both know who you are) to turn down the in-flow dial heading toward our house. My sister-in-law even suggested a "one outfit-two toys" rule. (I'm not sure whatever happened to that, but I've never brought home just one outfit and two toys per kid.) Now, I completely understand that Grandmas (especially my kids' grandmas) LOVE to give the kids things, things, things. And it's okay. I'll get over the chaos. But the pleading does work, at least to some degree.



2) HAVE MORE KIDS- Yes, I know. You may be thinking this sounds contradictory. Doesn't more kids mean more stuff? Well, yes. But, from a gift-giving point of view, the resource well of gift-givers has to run dry sometime, right? So if KID A (an only child) receives X number of gifts one year, the next year perhaps KID A will only receive 1/2 X because KID B (a new sibling) will recieve the other 1/2 X. The theory continues with KID C and KID D, and everyone will receive 1/4 X. (Please note, additional kids do not neccesarily have to be siblings. I have found cousins to work equally well. One could argue that cousins are even better, because X is then divided by 2 or more households.)

This theory really doesn't work for Santa presents, because obviously, Santa has an unlimited resource well. (Yeah, right!)

Rory, alone on her 1st Christmas, with all 6 or so packages.

All 3 kids, together, with all 16 or so packages.

3) GO FOR DISPOSABLE GOODS- I have told the grandmas many times that they can bequeath unto my kids as much stuff as they want to now, as long as it can be thrown away in the future. This includes crayons, markers, coloring books, toothpaste, lip gloss, and play-doh among other things. (And you better believe I get really flexible with my definition of DISPOSABLE!) Environmental concerns aside, my inner peace radiates when there's a big pile out on the curb on trash day. Now, I don't want anyone thinking I throw out perfectly good things before they've lived their abused-at-the-hands-of-a-child usefulness. Just having the knowledge that a day will come when something can leave my home makes it all easier to handle.



4) ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE- Okay. All of you who think you know me- keep your comments to yourself! I know I am unquestionably NOT the most organized person on the earth, but I try. The best way to minimize post-Christmas chaos? Bins, bins and more bins. Big, medium, small- whatever the needs are for the gifts the kids received that particular year. Don't think I go out and buy brand new bins every single year, either! A week or so before Christmas, when Santa's arrival is looming, I take the kids down into the basement and we sort, sort, sort. This year it didn't seem like we got rid of very much (except some disposable items mentioned above that were all used up). The last few years, though, we've made some tough decisions about what is really played with, and not merely held onto because they think they might play with it someday. This year we didn't do this task until Christmas Eve Day. Sounds kind of mean, I know. "Come on now kiddos, Santa won't bring you anything if there's not a spot for it on the shelf!" (Total exaggeration- I said nothing of the sort!)

So, we'll see how we do in future years. (I hope the grandmas don't read this and decide they'll take their nice gifts to a more grateful family!) Everything is wonderful. I just can't take the chaos!!