Holiday Excess: I May Have Gone Overboard This Year

Katie Katie Parsons is the creator of Mumbling Mommy and is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist. She works from her home office on the east coast of Florida. Most often she writes about life in a combined family of five children and what it's like being a full time work-from-home parent. Feel free to pitch guest post ideas or just drop her a line at [email protected].

I went Holiday Overboard.

I’ve coined a new term: “Holiday Overboard.”

Definition: Buying way too much stuff for way too many people.

I’m sure many, many other moms can relate to this term. My son is 3.5-years-old this Christmas. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited he is for Santa to come. His excitement may be slightly overshadowed by my excitement at BEING Santa, though! At his age, I know he will love anything and everything he receives. So I just kept buying.

That one-click button on Amazon is beyond dangerous. Cars 2 die-cast cars for half off at Target? Throw them in the cart! Gymboree having a half off sale, plus I have a 20% off coupon… time to stock up for spring (and buy some pants for a friend who mentioned needing them for her son). I know. Yikes!

‘Tis the season of excess, right? Guilty, party of one. Even my husband, who is usually very understanding about my shopping habit, has started to wonder if I have gone overboard. My mom has insisted that we put some stuff away for Easter or his birthday.

The mischievous ‘Elf on the Shelf,’ teepeeing our tree

It isn’t all about consumerism at our house, though. We are trying to implement some fun family traditions along the way. We started with an Elf on the Shelf tradition this year. He causes all kind of mayhem in our house. My son seems to enjoying the fun of that tradition.

The only thing I feel like Holiday Overboard has caused is a lack of “reason for the season,” if you will. Now, we are not a religious family at all. So we don’t teach (at this point) what many consider the real reason for Christmas. Instead, we encourage giving to others without expecting anything in return and helping those that are less fortunate than we are.

We are trying to teach the reason for the season, but honestly, I am feeling like a bit of a failure at this. My son is only 3 years old, but I’m not sure we are doing a good enough job of teaching him to help others. I cleaned out his toys (to make room for all of the new Christmas gifts he’s about to get) in secret, while he decorated a gingerbread house with my mom. I was fearful of his reaction. The last time I tried to get him to donate some toys, he cried, a lot.

I’m hoping that next year, we will be able to do more for others. And I can learn to curb the Amazon shopping but it feels a little like it’s too late for this year. Don’t get me wrong, I am still thrilled for the holidays, I’m just feeling a little bummed that I let it get a little out of control.

If anyone has suggestions on how to use these last few daysto reign things in a little, I’m all ears!

True stories from the front lines of parenting.

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