One of the Youtube vbloggers I follow, Beau of the Fifth Column, had an interesting idea, that parents change the tags on their children's Christmas gifts. I don't have children so I have to take this on his say, but his point is that most of the time, parents put their names on the needful gifts, like socks, school things, and other boring gifts, and then put Santa's name on the fun and exciting gifts, like the pc games, electronics and toys. He thinks we should switch that.

His observation is that this Christmas there will be many more children who ask themselves "What did I do wrong? Was I bad? Is that why Santa didn't give me the cool toy I asked him for?"

Parents who are in some sort of financial distress will do all they can to get their children what they need, but might not have the extra money for that special expensive gift the child wants but does not need. A child might not understand this hidden fact of life.

If we started changing the role Santa plays, and the gifts he gives, then maybe children wouldn't think the THEY did something wrong, when they didn't. If Santa's role is to give children what they need, and then the parents give what the child wants, then maybe parents would be more comfortable explaining about when economic conditions make it hard if not impossible to give them expensive gifts.

I watched that video and thought about the Long Descent we talk about here. How in the decades going forward, more and more children will be in situations where the money is just not there for those expensive gifts. And when those children get to school, and talk as they always do among their friends, they won't feel they did something wrong by saying "Santa brought me a really cool school backpack!"

Its just a thought...

The video: "Let's talk about a video for grown ups..."