Photo: @mackenzyksmith / TikTok
"No toy" rules are not as cruel as they appear.
By Megan Quinn — Written on Dec 21, 2022
As Christmas approaches, many children who celebrate the holiday are anticipating gifts under their tree from Santa Claus.
However as the years go on, more and more parents are deciding to do away with the tradition and tell their children the truth about the mythical man in the red suit.
Others are even taking it a step further and are refraining from leaving gifts underneath the tree, or no gifts at all.
One mother on TikTok is taking this exact route and explaining her decision to viewers.
The mother claims that she does not buy her children Christmas gifts.
In a video that has garnered over 250,000 views, the mother of two, MaKenzy Smith, told viewers that she has a “less popular” Christmas tradition for her children. She states that the tradition sparks a debate among other parents.
Smith starts by emphasizing that she is big on Christmas and loves when the holidays roll around.
Despite her feelings toward the holiday, Smith says that she doesn’t want her children to believe that Christmas is “all about getting gifts.”
Therefore, she chooses not to buy her children Christmas gifts.
“We don’t buy gifts for Christmas and we don’t put gifts underneath the tree,” she explains.
Additionally, Smith and her husband do not make their children believe that Santa is real, although they incorporate him into their holiday by watching Christmas movies and taking photos with him.
“[Santa] is a story like other kinds of stories that we find magical and exciting,” she says. “But I don’t trick my children into thinking that something is real.”
Smith adds that her children are aware that other children believe in Santa and do not spoil the magic for them.
For Smith, Christmas is more about the experience than giving and receiving gifts.
“I want my kids to look back on their Christmases and I want them to think about their family surrounding them, these wonderful magical meals together, going and looking at Christmas lights with me and my husband,” she says.
“I want to make all these moments magical but I don’t want to revolve things around gifts.”
This does not mean that Smith never buys gifts for her children. She claims that occasionally when she spots something at the store she believes her children would enjoy, she will get it for them.
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Smith says that she has a “no toy” rule in her home.
Another significant reason Smith does not buy her children Christmas gifts is that she has a “no toy” rule in her household. Instead, she focuses her children’s attention on activities to keep them occupied.
“They will help me cook in the kitchen, they will help with chores around the house, they will play with their dogs, they will jump on the trampoline… they’ll go catch frogs, they’ll watch YouTube documentaries on something they’re interested, we’ll make crafts,” Smith lists.
She has established that a minimalist Christmas with no gifts is what has worked best for her family.
“No judgment to those who do it differently, but I won’t let today’s Christmas culture pressure me into doing things I don’t think are good for my family,” she captioned her video.
However, some TikTok users appeared to judge Smith for her decision.
Users were concerned that Smith’s children would become jealous of others who receive toys on Christmas.
Smith defended her decision in a follow-up video, claiming that the “no toy” rule could be bent every once in a while, and it is more of a parenting style than a rule.
The purpose of her “no toy” policy is to keep her children entertained with activities and items that are not toys, such as their trampoline and dirt bikes.
Through her own experience with her eldest child who is four years old, Smith learned that her children become “bored” with toys easily and prefer keeping themselves occupied with activities that do not involve the use of toys.
She added that her children have never experienced jealousy over the gifts other children receive at Christmas time and are perfectly content with what they have.
“I don’t want to raise spoiled kids who think every holiday is about gifts,” Smith explained.
However, she gifts her children with the occasional stuffed animal and Hot Wheels car.
To further prove her point, Smith posted a video detailing all of the various activities her children participate in with no toys whatsoever!
Despite her own rules and holiday traditions, Smith stresses to her children that “every family is different” and wants to instill empathy into them.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.