the ONE THING your kids DESPERATELY NEED for christmas.

[@MadisunGray]

what did I miss? 🎁

[@stephaniehart3595]

Nothing! 💝 how refreshing to have this slow living guide. I am going to settle into my sewing room and craft room, turning anything I can into practical, functional gifts all the children can enjoy! Thank you for the ~permission~ to not buy into all the hype!🎄 🎄 🎄 We DON'T need more!

[@boricuaflamenca]

@@MadisunGray nothing. It’s just so funny that they are going backwards in terms of marketing when there’s so much technology and communication tech these days. It’s just food for thought. What are they trying to accomplish?

[@Chrissyhappy]

For Christmas and my sons 21st in December I’m giving him money to pay off some of his university fees. He doesn’t need stuff. No debts is a wonderful gift I think. The adults in my life decided no more gifts. We donate to food banks or a charity of our choice.❤

[@ally33799]

As someone who recently graduated from college I love this idea. I would have preferred this over gifts.

[@Chrissyhappy]

@@ally33799I am glad you’ve said that. Thank you.😊. I sometimes feel like people judge me because I haven’t done the usual gift route.❤

[@txspacemom765]

Same! My son is in college and he doesn't need stuff. He asked for some new sneakers, he wanted a hoody and I filled a reusable bag with his favorite snacks, bath items he uses and a $100 gift card- so he can get himself something special. We are volunteering at the animals shelter at the holidays.

[@thelittlehomeaustralia]

I did an email out to the grandparents in early Nov this year asking that they please just stick to 1-2 presents max per kiddo and that they prioritise experience gifts, low/no plastic and no batteries. I did a quick paragraph on why and then had a convo with each one separately with some suggestions for ideas (zoo pass, trip to the aquarium together etc) , this is the first time I've done that and I think it was really relaxing for everyone! They seemed really happy to come up with ideas and most of the older generations KNOW how badly downhill marketing and tech is going for kiddos these days!

[@Becky44-e7g]

Thankyou for sharing this! Such a good idea 🤗 Great way to be intentional & avoid miscommunication.

[@ChristysChannelYall]

Hi Madi, I’m 52 and my kids are grown. I lived a life like you are trying to give your children and I remember it fondly. My mom was a stay at home mom. She cooked all our meals. We had a huge garden. We lived out in the middle of nowhere Mississippi. What I think the kids are lacking today is the simplicity and unplugged-in-ness of a life like that. We had one TV in the house, 3 channels, no cable TV, no computer, obviously no internet or cell phone. We had to be creative. My parents were poor so we would get like 2 or 3 simple gifts at Christmas and you know what, we cherished those gifts. Less is really so much more. I’m a minimalist now because I cannot stand all of the stimuli we are exposed to nowadays. It’s insane. I tried to raise my kids the way I was raised, but it was harder because I had to work full time outside the home (I’m a RN) and technology came along. Technology really is a double edged sword. It became harder and harder to keep the screens at bay. Sorry for the long comment, but just thought I’d share my thoughts. Great video btw ❤

[@angelaotimo9297]

I love this! Bless you and your family!

[@Chrissyhappy]

I’m in the UK. We have quiet hour in alot of shops. For people who like it quiet and calm. They also lower the lights. Turn the till noises off. It’s bliss. If I do have to shop I only go then.😊

[@danikalynn8302]

Is that all year or just during the holiday season? Sounds nice

[@mackenzie5716]

America is all about new and exciting and bright! I wish things were slower and quieter here.

[@catfish9539]

Wow when did that start?

[@Filledwithfaith90]

I’m from uk and never heard of this what part are you from ?

[@hannahbentson9374]

Ummm we need this in the US!

[@jeanaandrighetti5730]

I’ve written lists for years and it has helped everyone’s anxiety! My husband and I are gifting our two older (7 and 4) kids date nights out with us this year since they will be receiving gifts from others❤

[@RussianGirl154]

Love this whole video but wanted to add - getting the catalog was actually super nostalgic! As kids we uses to love pouring over catalogs, circling the toys we want, etc. I found it to be a very cute idea. Parents are the ones that can purchase or not - kids will see all the toys in stores anyways. Catalogs are just fun to browse through, and have been for generations.

[@TheMennomilist]

PERFECT!! Loved this. We are not a normal breed. We give our kids money and provide for their needs year round. People think we are crazy but our kids are so happy with what they have.

[@gabbyterrasi1736]

I find, that at this time of year (or all year) having a mantra really helps in moments of consumerism weakness. “I am content with what I have, I have enough”.

[@britliz2818]

I love what you said about honoring our yes and nos. I’m grateful that overall our family on both sides (for the most) part honor our lifestyle to limit what we offer our kids. They check in with us first and ask if xyz gift is ok to buy. My MIL can have a harder time as she has literally saved every toy, plate, spoon from my husband’s childhood and she will send to us for our kids. I’ll let them play with it for a period and then often move it along. My husband doesn’t mind and my kids don’t either because they forget about it the next week after receiving it. Also, still a work in progress here with our house and my vision for it but when friends come over, mom friends always comment about the peace and calm. I first credit the Lord as he is welcome in our home and I also know it’s the simple, slower more intentional rhythm that were trying to live out. Thank you Maddie for your message. So grateful for you!

[@Stacey-h9q]

This is beautiful!! And perfectly reflects my feelings as well. I have noticed that I buy things most when I am stressed or avoiding hard emotions, instead of sitting with them and processing. I don’t want to pass this on to my girls, and I don’t want them to think toys mean happiness. Thank you for this wonderful reminder of what my values are, especially during this time of year, and that I am not alone in this way of thinking!!

[@AGuilloryGirl]

We have 4 kids-most of them all grown up but my husband and I made the decision when we first got married that we would do and give more for others at Christmas rather than giving more to our children. Our children got 3 presents each as well as stocking stuffers and they never felt like they were missing out. We always did for others so our children would know the gift of giving. One year, my husband lost his job right before Christmas and a sweet friend and his family decided that they would be a secret Santa to our family. I think our kids appreciated it even more because they knew what it was to be the ones to give to others. Our kids do not remember the actual gifts for very long but they do remember how it feels to give and what it feels like to be given to. You’re a good mama, @madisungray! Hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving!

[@susiefleming8842]

great job again!! Thank you. I'm going to forward this on!

[@mcmsantiago]

I have my autistic son to thank for helping me slow down and step away from overstimulation. He has a very visceral reaction to overstimulation, so I have become more attuned to turning things off, creating routines etc, and it has made our life so much better.

[@tamiurquizo746]

Thank you for being a reminder of this for us. Thank you for this gift. Happy holidays may your family be blessed. ❤❤❤

[@boricuaflamenca]

The mail in catalog dates back to the 80s. Companies are making a throwback with their marketing. I remember the JC PENNEY catalog. It was a kid’s dream.

[@tamiurquizo746]

The gift of God. ❤❤❤ I have a 14 year old. What I've realized in the years of motherhood is that. One day they could be creating and imagining and the next day it be gone. Meaning they have growned up. I made the mistake with my first oldest daughter giving her ipad it killed her imagination. I'm living proof of that. Ive been blessed with two toddlers to change they way. ❤❤❤

[@thelittlehomeaustralia]

I'm the oldest of 4 girls, I had little tech growing up because the tech just wasn't really there back then (I'm 36) but my mum had kids again when I was a teen and my sisters (who are 23, 19 and 16) all got iphones and total access to tech from a very young age. Before my toddler was born my mum told me it was one of her biggest regrets with my sisters. I'd realised that it was a bad move a LONG time ago, watching how they were growing up! I'm grateful to have that realisation before coming a mama, my toddler has max max 10 mins of screentime a day and only sees my phone if we're calling my family overseas . I'm suuuper intentional about being on tech around him too. It's so important!

[@ericaleemynatt]

Mundane moments with my girls are my FAVORITE and the reason I’m able to truly enjoy those moments, is because I have drastically simplified our home and life. The best feeling 🫶🏻✨

[@jessieelliott3157]

I went into kmart in australia recently and it was very quiet and the lighting was turned down. I asked what was happening thinking power outage but they had quiet hour which was actually very nice. Our supermarkets have started this too.

[@vaibhavimistry9627]

Hi Madi, I was working from home and just got notified about the new video drop. I instantly dropped everything and took few mins to watch your video. I don't have kids but am a dog mom :) Everything you said was so true and relatable. Your videos are so inspiring and because of your amazing videos, I am slowly trying to understand what my body was craving since so many years. Your videos made me realise that there is a life which I have been wanting but never understood. Slowing down, resting, savouring. I found a new perspective and an outlook to declutter things from my personal life and also physically from my space. I am so grateful to you and thank you so much for sharing such wonderful teachings. We need more women like you and more power to you. Sending you so much love and light. Also its a great video 💕

[@kendratai]

I agree with you but none of my extended family or even my husband feels this way. My kids get things from grandparents , aunts and uncles and us along with a LOT of stocking stuffers. I realized the only thing I can control is myself. I've had to learn how to manage the overwhelming amount of toys that come in the house. If the kids don't play with it (or play with it once and never touch it again ) it leaves the house. I've also been working on my own habits of overdoing gifts from us. I started focusing on needs that I would normally be getting my kids anyways like, clothes, books, Lego sets so that the things my kids 'want' come from extended family. We do a personally curated Amazon list for each kid to try to reduce the amount of unwanted or unneeded gifts.. we still have way too much and it's so beyond frustrating but it's also a part of our American culture that I can't just get rid of. I've had to learn to live with it, otherwise I will go insane 😂

[@ear1421]

While I do LOVE your thoughtful “what I bought my kids for Christmas” videos, this was just as good

[@haily.campbell]

My favorite memories as kids were playing in the forest next to our house, going to Disney and playing school or fashion designers with my sisters. I think the thing about Disney that made it special is that it was a regular thing we did. Not just once. We were local. Frequency makes a big difference. Making it your norm is part of the formula

[@bonniewoodard2771]

Excellent !! I've shared with a family that their 3 young children are involved in EveryThing and she's in Early Child Care profession ... hope this important message wakes them up in a powerful way ... Thank you!!!

[@pamelaflickinger2160]

I loved this Madisun. I have decided to gift differently this year. More time together and less presents. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. ❤

[@marilynmonroe2929]

Thanks Maddie for this. It's amazing and a great reminder.

[@maryseaubert3647]

That was beautiful!

[@user-Swannie]

Perfect 👌 ❤ this is one of your top 10 vids, nice work maddy. Shared to Facebook friends.

[@KS-JBM]

Love this video!! 😊

[@Dana-mb1hd]

Love this Madisun💖💖💖💖💖

[@carolinalaguna8807]

Este año hemos optado por regalar una bicicleta será mucho más divertido pasar más tiempo al aire libre ,seguro mi hijo la disfrutará bastante ❤❤

[@abbiebarrios8601]

I haven’t not cried watching one of your videos in awhile. I know God is asking me to quit my 8-5 and stay home with my 3 little but it’s SO scary. No idea how we will make ends meet but thinking about hot coco by the steam…on a Tuesday morning…worth it.

[@BritanyShaw]

I’m only half way into this video and I’m crying from 1 sentence “experience your childhood again”

[@evarosegger631]

The impact you had on my life with such wise videos and content in general is unbelievable 😊 i already stopped playing disney Audio books in the background while playing because I Long Long did because I needed something to Listen to while playing with my kids. They never did. And now I enjoy the silence in between playing. 😅

[@joanneconnor4319]

Yes, yes and yes! well said Maddie - Jo from Australia xxx

[@Morochis]

It’s so funny you mentioned the Amazon toy catalog. We received it in the mail and I gave it to my 6 year old to look at as a “book” just to entertain her for a bit. Not only did she not want anything from the catalog. She also complained that it wasn’t a real book 😂 I guess I’ve done something right because we can walk by the Target toy isles and she never asks for anything… she has more than enough at home and I’ve decluttered a ton with her. She already knows that if there’s something she doesn’t play with, we can give it to a child that will use it.

[@Kimberly.Storyteller]

Well said.🖤 Happy Thanksgiving!

[@sallyviehland6204]

That was so beautiful, Madisun, I especially liked that “things are money and money is time” - really resonated with me!! Thank you!

[@marlettvrey]

I needed this video. Thank you

[@txspacemom765]

My son is off at college this year. We radically simplified out holidays- tree is up- simple lights and a few ornaments. Wreath on the front door. We are going to cook together this year- so it's not all on me. We are also doing non traditional food, because we realized, while holiday food is nice, he wants a nice rib steak and I want soup. Yep. My son asked for new sneakers, a hoody and I am making up a reusable bag of his favorites, that he will use and a gift card- for the occasional treat. Funny story- I was in Target and they were BLASTING the new "Wicked" soundtrack- it was so LOUD, that I was either going to do jazz hands down the aisles or leave. I left. LOL

[@stephaniehart3595]

Love this video sooooo much! Small things with great love!!

[@samledbet]

yessss was waiting to see your take on holiday gifts for 2024!

[@caremorewithkim]

So happy to hear this video after watching your old Christmas videos each year which were nice but I guess I felt that it confused the message of less. But like you I like to give gifts and shop so I totally get the internal struggle. I’ve always looked at it from an eco-friendly viewpoint and gift ideas around that and experiences were my go too gifts. But all of these are amazing and I am wondering how u will communicate the shift with your kids.

[@blackbohemianmama]

yes on the rant!!! my child found this book in the pile of mail and has been obsessed- I had to take it and trash it from under his covers- he is 9!!! - tangentially related, having my kids in school and extracurriculars (seimming, drama club, karate) makes slow living ideals exponentially more difficult because they are always comparing and feeling somehow deprived! 2 of my 3 children are adopted and there is yet another layer of mom guilt attached to trying to drtach from this system. ( as in- my poor boys lucked out on the family who wants less and wants play and not toys and family trips that are slow, not ... disney...) ALL encouragement is welcome! I wish I could do your course- thiugh I imagine what im dealing with are other layers of my own confidence and growth as a mama. thanks for your videos!

[@ericawhitfield9289]

Mama, you are getting so many things right. 🫶🏻 Sometimes as Moms we have to remember that kids don’t realize what we’re doing for them until they’re older and then they can clearly see and are thankful.

[@thelittlehomeaustralia]

I'm mama to a 3.5 year old boy and a little girl on the way in March

[@rheannabramley1681]

Loved this video ❤

[@heidihraba4575]

Stop this is so good. Thank you Madi!

[@TarrynS1]

Hi Madi! Are you still releasing your new course soon? I remember you saying this fall.

[@hannahbentson9374]

I’m the same way…I am more tempted to buy things when I’m sad, bored, overwhelmed etc. and after I’m like why?!

[@hazelunderwood259]

Love this. Love you. Thank you ❤

[@ShanKayV]

Completely onboard with everything u said. If only more people followed this way of life, it would change the world

[@formgeben]

Really really good and important content! 👏👏

[@sl9906]

Beautifully said ❤

[@amandamorris4033]

Thank you ❤

[@robertabozzolan206]

I am on board with less is more, but my husband isn't. He always wants to buy the kids more stuff, more toys, more things. I think it's because when he was a child his parents could not afford what the other kids were getting, so he wants to do more. However, our kids can get what they want, I just think the more they get the sadder they become because they keep on asking. They get a new toy and after a day they don't play with it anymore and want another one. This makes me sad. For Xmas we only do one present from us parents and one from Santa. Then they get one from each grandparents family and then one from each uncle (they have only 2), plus this year their cousin who turned 18yo wants to gift them something separate. So 7 gifts each this year and they are usually too overwhelmed with 6.. we open one on the 24th and the rest on the 25th. We live far from our families, we only see them once a year and not for Xmas, so all their presents are together under the tree, which does not help the overwhelmingness 😅

[@Marieeeeeeeee]

Do you have any tips on how to downsize toys that kids already have? I really want to go through the toys my son has but I don't know where to start. Thank you!

[@InevitableSecrets]

I think she has older videos about this. Also the channel Paper Town Home did a really good video on this earlier this year.

[@ericawhitfield9289]

There will be so much advice on this and it’s all good really. #1 just start because any progress is progress. #2 Pull out the toys that your kids really love and play with. Keep the thought in mind that kids need less than you think and the more clear access to a toy they have, the more they’ll play with it. Also, they’ll be getting more at Christmas probably. After you have all the good stuff pulled out, you’ll have what’s left. If you’re sure of your self or just really want a fresh start, get rid of the rest completely. Don’t worry about selling and all that. That will set you back. If you’re not sure yet, pull out a few maybes and put them in a bin to store out of sight. Then get rid of the remaining. #3 Then you have to control what comes into your home, so it’s maintained. If my kid is given a toy that I know is a piece of junk, I let them play with it until it has lost its appeal, which is usually quick, and then I get rid of it. If I see my kid has outgrown a toy, I get rid of it. That way it doesn’t accumulate. A few times a year, I go into their toy area and I say, what don’t you like anymore that we can pass on to other people? They’ve always been willing to part with stuff.

[@Chrissyhappy]

I always got the kids involved in this. I’d explain they’d be getting some new toys and wouldn’t it be nice to donate any toys they’d grown out of. Make room for the new. Even if the toy was very old and needed trashed, I wouldn’t tell them that. They never liked to see their toys going in the bin. I’d just sort them when they went to bed.😊 good luck.

[@paolarosser5063]

We kept any open ended toys! Like magna tiles, blocks/legos, little toy animals, less than 5 cars, 2-3 baby dolls with a small selection of accessories like a pretend bed or carrier. Anything that they can play with in a few different ways and that really gets their imagination going. I think it depends on the kiddos but you know them best + it's trial & error! I hid a lot away and only left out what I thought they would play with in this way and if they asked for something specific I would add that back in. Our kids didn't do well with choosing things to give away, they love and want to keep everything even if they never play with it so hiding it away and bringing it back out if they ask for it worked best for us. I think we'll include them in it as they get older + teach them more about the joy of giving as we go!

[@jessieelliott3157]

Amen!

[@granolagirl795]

Great video!

[@faithsfarmlife1424]

Board games every Friday night as a kid popcorn chips dip.

[@mrselbowz]

While I understand the point you're trying to make, please remember that 1 in 5 children is America are suffering from food insecurity, and 1 in 4 children do not have access to clean drinking water. It is a privilege to not worry about those things, even in America.

[@ShanKayV]

I think Madisun always preaches gratitude, this video is just another example

[@AM-bm2xw]

Unfortunately, it seems pretty common in 🇨🇦 too, for people to sincerely lack basic necessities but still be overrun with cheap plastic junk. I've went a few Christmas with my children getting more junky toys from their grandparents when we couldn't afford a Xmas meal.