A five-year-old on a budget
December 24, 2011
In an effort to help my son realize that there is joy in giving as well as receiving, last year we started a new Christmas tradition. We took him to a store and set him loose with a $5.00 limit for each person on his list.
In addition to discovering the fun in giving to others, an unintended benefit has been that my son is learning how to shop on a budget.
My son prefers to shop at hardware stores (or worker guy stores, as they are called in our family). His theory is that the kitchen section is best for ladies gifts, and the tool section is best for the guys.
But usually, he just buys everything in whatever section he happens upon first.
Last year there was a display of Halloween clearance items just inside the door. He considered pumpkin scented candles and various ghoulish trinkets.
The best find was the giant orange storage tub he selected for my brother for the bargain price of $2.99.
My son was thrilled by the huge package beside the tree, and we all enjoyed watching my brother’s reaction when he opened it.
It actually turned out to be useful storage. The black and orange handles make it easy to move when my brother takes off on one of his adventures.
When he’s watching someone open one of his gifts, my son strikes an authoritative stance with one hand on the recipient’s knee and the other on his hip.
It is the confident stance of someone who knows he has selected the awesomest gift ever. To prove his awesomeness, last year my son even wore his Superman costume.
As my grandpa can attest, there’s nothing quite like receiving berry-flavored bird feed from Superman.
We celebrated Christmas early with my in-laws this year. My son was as excited to share his gifts to them as he was to open his own.
He chose a tea strainer and a snack bag sealer for my husband’s mother because she loves tea and always has a lot of snacks at her house.
He thought he’d better help grandma unwrap the paper because sometimes her hands hurt. Then he gave her a tutorial on how to use the tea strainer.
For my father-in-law, he chose a $2.00 steak knife and a watermelon-shaped melon baller. Because every grandpa needs a good melon baller.
As the wrapping paper fell to the floor, my father-in-law gave the melon baller a puzzled look. My son’s expression changed briefly to panic.
Grandpa quickly realized that this may be the most useful gift he’d ever received, and my son just glowed.
My son’s gift giving has become one of my favorite holiday traditions. I love watching him carefully choose the gifts, and the pride he feels in his selections.
And for the recipients, my son’s gifts have become some of the most anticipated of the season. You can learn a lot about yourself from a five-year-old on a budget.
This article first appeared in the Lewistown News-Argus and the Sidney (Mont.) Herald on December 24, 2011.
