Do You Follow The “Four-Gift Rule” For Christmas?

For a lot of folks, Christmas is all about piling up as many presents as possible under the tree, but there's a different approach to holiday gift giving that is gaining popularity. It's called the "Four-Gift Rule" and, as a parent, I think it's a great idea.

If you've ever felt frazzled by the pressure to keep up with everyone else during the holiday season, you're not alone. I love this time of year but all of the shopping is just too stressful. It's not as much of a problem now that my kids are almost adults, but when they were little each one of them would give me and Sara a wish list that was longer than a CVS receipt.

The boys never did get everything on their lists, but I wish I had known about the "Four-Gift Rule" back then. It would have saved me a lot of time, money, and aggravation. More and more parents are trying to keep Christmas under control by only giving each of their kids four presents:

It even rhymes! The "Four-Gift Rule" accomplishes a few other things as well. It shifts the focus from quantity to quality, and from want to need. The rule also helps parents stick to a reasonable budget and avoid the clutter that comes with gifts which don't hold their kids' interest for more than a week.