The gifts that they will forget

Yesterday was an explosion of wrapping paper and joy. Family and fun. Food and more food. As I tucked my son into bed last night, I asked him if he had had a good Christmas. He declared it to be the best Christmas ever. 

That is sweet, but I do wonder what he will remember from this Christmas in the long run.

Most of us forget something about Christmas right away: Namely, the gifts we received. We are all spending too much money on gifts that no one really wants. The study on that link is a bit of an eye-opener.

In years past, I have worried about the number of gifts that my son receives. I have done that old Mom trick of putting some of his gifts away and taking them out when he complains about boredom and then he is overjoyed to have them again. But as he gets older, I should start to think about his gifts a little differently. I know a few families that have adopted rules for their gifts (as in: everyone gets three things - something they want, something they need and something to read), and maybe that would be a good way to both pare down the stuff and focus the gift giving.

It's a little late this year, but definitely something to reflect on as we close out this season.

What gift-giving rules do you have in your household that I might steal? Tell me in the comments.