Christmas morning is a time when you see your kids happier than you have seen them since their birthday party. Once the word is given, the living room turns into a cyclone of wrapping paper, shrieking children and family pets that are diving for cover. Every once in a while, parents need to throw in gifts that remind children that winter break will be over at some point and reality will set in. Here are 10 gifts that your kids don’t want on Christmas morning, but will use throughout the year.
1) Socks and Underwear
Ah yes; the old parental Christmas bring-down of socks and underwear. Nothing brings Christmas crashing to the ground faster than those little plastic packages that almost get thrown out with the wrapping paper. But your kids will use these gifts and probably wear them out just in time to get them again next Christmas.
2) Globe
Your younger children may not understand why you would give them a globe for Christmas. They may even look at it like it came from outer space. But once Christmas is over and your child asks for help with her geography homework, that is when you point out that alien Christmas gift.
3) Pens and Pencils
The ultimate slap to a kid’s face on Christmas morning is any gift that reminds him of school. Once again, watch the look of horror on your kids’ faces as they realize that you burned a gift on pens and pencils, but then watch how they cannot live without those gifts as the school year goes along.
4) Backpacks
This may receive more of a look of confusion rather than disgust. But every parent knows that the life expectancy of a child’s backpack is about six months. By March, your kids will be glad you got them this timely Christmas gift.
5) Clothes Hangers
This gift is more of a reminder than anything really practical or fun. You may want to remind your children that the more time you have to spend hanging their clothes for them means more clothes hangers next Christmas. You can be sure that you will see those Christmas coat hangers put to good use immediately.
6) Books
Try to find out what the hottest new kids books are and give them as Christmas gifts. With the prevalence of video games and the Internet, your kids may not even recognize a book when they see it. But if you can get them hooked on reading then you are helping their future.
7) Photo Album
Digital cameras have made hard copy pictures almost irrelevant. But digital cameras can lose their memory and pictures can be lost forever. Your kids may not understand the purpose of this gift at all. But encourage them to start putting their favorite pictures in the album and keep collecting pictures until they go away to college. Then you hold on to the album and give it to your kids again at the first Christmas you have with your kids and your grandchildren.