Check out this segment on how many gifts to give your kid this holiday season
How many presents should I give my kid(s) at Christmas? Jessie Shepherd, LCMHC and Clinical Director from Blue Clover Therapy was back in our studio today sharing her wisdom and tips!
Giving your children only 3-5 gifts this year is better for their mental health, and emotional development. This can vary with each kid depending on age, attention span, and personality.
Reduce gift opening frenzy: A frenzied state in which the gift opener is reactionary and mindlessly opening gifts. The person often won’t acknowledge the item or even remember what it was.
What if I can’t control the amount of gifts? If you can’t control keeping it to 3-5 gifts at Grandma’s house, control the speed at which gifts are opened. A gap with 30-60 seconds in between is perfect. Make sure they make an appreciative comment that includes a specific about the item, or break up the gift opening sessions.
Balanced Gift Rule: One ‘want’ item, one ‘need’ item, one ‘wear’ item, one ‘read’ item.
Gift Tips: Make sure to only buy gifts you know that they would really like. Buy good durable items (quality over quantity.) Treat it like a treasure (wrapping too)!
Jessie Shepherd, MA, LCMHC is a Mental Health Counselor in Utah. She has a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Utah. Her focus is treating trauma, eating disorders and adjustment issues in adults, adolescents, children and their families. She utilizes Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Play Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Neurological Feedback. She also works with performance anxiety and performance enhancement using EMDR and Neurological Feedback.