When our children were little, we chose to give each of them three gifts at Christmas. This kept the season from becoming overwhelming and pointed our hearts back to the three gifts given to Jesus by the wise men: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Those gifts were intentional and meaningful, pointing to who He was and what He came to do.

In our home, the three gifts might follow a theme, such as something to read, something to wear, and something just for fun. In leaner years, each box might hold one special item. When finances allow, there might be a few smaller surprises tucked inside. Either way, the focus stayed the same. We have always hoped our children would see that the value of the gifts we give is not found in how many there are or how big they might be, but in the love and purpose behind them.

Holding to this tradition has helped our family keep Christmas focused on what is truly important. It has reminded us, year after year, that the heart of giving begins with God’s gift to us in Jesus, and that our response to that gift is the greatest offering we can give in return.

Traditions like this have shaped the way our family approaches Christmas, but they are only part of the picture. If we want our children to understand the true meaning of giving, we need to be intentional about how we teach and model it in daily life. That begins with finding ways to connect what we believe to what we do.

Practical Tips for Parents

1. Set a Family Giving Framework: Create a clear and consistent approach to gift giving that keeps the focus on Christ. If you follow the three gifts tradition, explain why you do it and how it connects to the gifts given to Jesus by the wise men. Help your children see that each gift has meaning, just as gold, frankincense, and myrrh pointed to who Jesus is and what He came to do.
2. Practice a Daily Response to God: Pick a time you rarely miss and pause together to thank God for the gift of His Son. In a minute or two, do three things: thank Him, ask for His help, and offer your hearts to honor Him that day. Breakfast, the school drive, or bedtime all work. Keep it short and steady until it feels woven into your home.
3. Choose One Act of Obedience Each Week as a Family: Talk together about one specific way you can obey God that week. It might be forgiving someone, telling the truth when it is hard, making something right, or serving someone quietly. Celebrate the effort and the heart behind it, rather than striving for perfection.
4. Make Worship Tangible: Worship comes in many forms, and can be as simple as reading a short passage of Scripture together and singing one song as a family. Choose a time that works for everyone, whether it is at breakfast, after dinner, or before bed. The goal is not a long, formal service, but a moment to focus your hearts on God.
5. Guide Kids to Love People Near Them: Help your children look for ways to show love in practical, everyday ways. Pick one person to bless with time, help, or encouragement, and let your child plan the action. This could be a random act of Christmas kindness, such as delivering cookies, writing a note, or doing a helpful chore for a neighbor. 
6. Create a Gratitude and Giving Rhythm: Set out a jar where family members can drop in thank-you notes to God throughout the month. Encourage children to write down specific blessings they have noticed or ways God has been at work in their lives. On Christmas Eve, read the notes together as a reminder that giving starts with gratitude for all God has given us. 
7. Keep Budgets and Expectations Clear: Before the holiday rush begins, decide together what your gift budget will be. Let your children know that Christmas giving is about meaning, not numbers or price tags. Setting limits ahead of time helps everyone enjoy the heart behind each gift without worrying about comparisons.
8.  Walk Through the Christmas Story Together: Make reading the story of Jesus’ birth a part of your Christmas celebration. Open the Bible and read directly from Luke chapter 2. Read a few verses each day until you complete the Christmas story. Take time to talk about God’s greatest gift and how we can respond to Him in worship and love. If you would like a structured study to help you lead those conversations, Gifts at the Manger is designed to walk your family through God’s gifts to us and our gifts to Him in just a few minutes a day.
9. Encourage Handmade Gifts: Encourage your children to make a homemade gift for someone they know.  It could be cookies for a neighbor, a picture for a grandparent, or an ornament for a friend.  As you work, talk about how the time and thought that go into a gift can mean even more than buying something from a store.
10.  Share Stories of Generosity: Tell your children about people who have given in ways that made a real difference. These stories can come from the Bible, missionary stories, people or events from history, or from your own life. Afterward, talk about what those gifts meant and how they showed God’s love in action.
11. Give Anonymously: Show your children the joy of giving without expecting recognition. Choose someone in need and find a way to bless them in secret—slipping a gift card in their mailbox, leaving groceries on their porch, or sending an unsigned note of encouragement. Afterwards, thank God together for the opportunity to give.
12. Practice Year-Round Giving: Remind your children that the true meaning of giving is not just for Christmas. They can look for ways to serve, help, and give throughout the year. When generosity is a part of your family routine, it teaches your children that giving is a way of life and shapes how they see the world.

Christmas will always bring its share of busyness and excitement, but it is also an opportunity to pause and remember why we give in the first place. When our children see that our giving comes from a place of gratitude for what God has given us, it changes the way they view the season. The size or number of gifts is no longer as important, and the heart behind them becomes the focus. My hope is that, year after year, our traditions and choices will point our family back to the greatest gift of all—Jesus.

Looking for a simple way to keep Christ at the center this season?

Gifts at the Manger leads your family through 25 short daily readings that point to what God offers us in Jesus and invites kids to consider their own response in faith. Children see how people in the nativity story responded to God, and they practice doing the same through worship, obedience, and love. It is an easy rhythm that helps build a Christ-centered Christmas tradition without the overwhelm.