Bele Masterman on keeping Christmas simple - SHP026

Gift guilt and Christmas conundrums - SHP026

To be honest, I kind of hate myself for being that person, talking about Christmas - in September. And yet, here we are.

Last week I received a Christmas-themed question on the Facebook page, from a listener named Natalie (thanks, Natalie!) and wanted to spend some time digging in to the topic before the craziness of the season hits. Because honestly, the changes we talk about in this episode aren't going to happen overnight, and it might help to start thinking about them now, before the season is upon us.

Natalie asked:

"I would love you to discuss how you manage Christmas and all of the commercialism that surrounds it. How do you manage the expectations of what your children expect for Christmas? And how do you manage what family/friends give your children for Christmas? Because, as parents, we sometimes don't have control over what others get for our children."

It’s not an easy question, and it's one I’m asked a lot, because so many of us struggle to balance the commercial aspects of the holiday season with our simple, slow living philosophy. It's also a time when our differences can become very apparent, particularly when we have friends and family who have different ideas on gift giving. 

I have my own thoughts on this topic, naturally, but my ideas are just that - mine. There’s so many different ways to approach the holiday season, so I invited Bele Masterman back to chat about her views on giving and receiving, whether re-gifting is OK (yes), how to buy second-hand, and what to do if a gift is unwanted.

We also talk about how best to manage our kids expectations, how to deal with family and friends who love giving gifts and how to let go of the guilt that comes with a sentimental present.

Enjoy!

PS. This episode is a bit longer than normal, and we’d love to know if the length is something you enjoy, or if you prefer the shorter episodes. Let me know in the comments below.

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In This Episode You'll Hear About:

    • The impact commercial have on our kids and their gift expectations
    • How previous generations idea of a good gift (ie. useful) is different to current generations
    • Why Ben and I still buy our kids presents and are happy to do so
    • Why we tend to stick to the notion of "Something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read"
    • How we manage expectations around Christmas, birthdays and other special occasions
    • The type of conversations we have with our kids about stuff, advertising and the environment
    • Why it's important to understand that some people see gift-giving as a 'love language'
    • How to deal with the guilt of unwanted gifts
    • Learn how to be a compassionate gift giver and receiver
    • Aligning buying decisions with your personal philosophy can make it a simpler process
  • Most important of all - people over things.

Things to Check Out After Today’s Episode:

    • Leetchi - a crowd-gifting platform
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Jules Clancy on (fast) slow food - SHP027

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Sam Lustgarten on the freedom of frugal living - SHP025