First Christmas and Consumerism
December 9, 2007
This is Eian’s first Christmas, and we put our tree up yesterday. So far, he doesn’t seem all that impressed. This morning, he started crawling toward the tree, and I ran over there right away. Turns out he was just after the cat. Later, he reached up to touch the tree, but he made a face and drew back when he felt the needles.
The Pope actually said something quoteworthy yesterday. This is what he had to say about consumerism at Christmas: “adolescents, youths and even children are easy victims of the corruption of love, deceived by unscrupulous adults who, lying to themselves and to them, draw them into the dead-end streets of consumerism.”
As I get ready to buy my Christmas gifts for Eian, I have to wonder if I’m doing the right thing. It’s more for me than for him right now. I want the Stride to Ride Lion. I want the adorable dark wash jeans. And really it’s me who is sick of reading the same 30 board books over and over. What would actually make Eian happy this Christmas? Excitement and a fun experience, most likely the cat.
It’s hard to separate consumerism from Christmas, and I hate to say that I’m not sure I want to. It’s like Christmas cookies (another way to consume). I know I shouldn’t eat 8 of them at a sitting, but I do it anyway. Is that wrong? Yeah, maybe, but I’m not likely to stop. I have so many magical memories of Christmas as a child. They don’t actually involve what I received, but they do involve the sudden wonder of seeing a previously vacant tree skirt overflowing with gifts. I want that magic for him too. But I also want to be responsible.
How do you handle Christmas and consumerism with your child?
I really appreciate the Pope’s quote. Our first Christmas after our youngest was born was celebrated with just us (spouse, girls and myself) and I had made hats for the girls and a scarf for Erick. He bought me knitting lessons with a German instructor whom he had befriended and tiny bamboo knitting needles wrapped carefully. And I had a few gifts for each child, but they took their time opening them and had time to enjoy each gift. It was a special holiday morning contrasting hugely with the afternoon of the same day when my parents came in with seven full garbage bags of gifts. Our house became overwhelmed.
My mom has since admitted she associates love with gift-giving, but even she is beginning to realize what has happened and has backed off dramatically. Babies prefer ribbons and boxes to whatever is contained within them.