Christmas Gift Giving: Ignore Letters to Santa

Every year, children press scrawled letters into your hand with instructions to send them to Santa right away. Besides promises to be good, and the wishes for a Merry Christmas, the bulk of the letter involves a list of toys and games they wish to get. While this can be a good outline of what to buy your children for Christmas, sometimes, it is better to ignore the letters to Santa completely.

When children expect Santa to answer their letter with bright and shiny packages on Christmas morning, however, how can you get around not buying them what they asked for? And why would you want to ignore the letter to Santa to begin with?

Children do not always think through their requests. The gifts in the letter to Santa might be innappropriate for their age or ability level. A movie or video game could be rated for older kids or teens, or simply have content you do not agree with. A toy might be dangerous, or likely to break. Sometimes, a parent simply knows that the child will not get the enjoyment out of the present that they may expect.

If you decide to ignore the letters to Santa and purchase something else for your child, there are several tips to reduce the potential disappointment on Christmas morning. Buying better and making it personal are good methods.

When your child asks for a specific toy that you do not want them to have, buying something immeasurably better may reduce the upset on Christmas day. Be sure to purchase something you know your child will like, or something they had been asking for at other times of the year. Entreating them to list several possible gifts on their letter to Santa can help to begin with, as you can simply choose the one or two you like best.

If you cannot choose one gift from the list, giving a different present combined with a personal note from Santa can help. Any child who still believes in that jolly old elf will be thrilled with a personal letter from Santa explaining that he thought they would enjoy this gift much better. For a child experiencing the magic of the Christmas holiday, Santa's reply might be a bigger thrill than the gift itself.

Ignoring letters to Santa during your Christmas gift giving time can be tricky if you have a discerning child. However, buying better than expected and including personal contact from Santa Claus himself can soften the blow.