A Christmas Tradition

One of our favorite family traditions is a simple gift exchange, dressed up with friendly, family competition, and focusing on the recipient.  This is one of the easiest ways we taught about giving to our autistic sons when they were young.

We draw names (usually on the 22 or 23 of December) of family members and then go shopping in teams. Price limit was $5 for years, but we boosted it up to $10 last year. Mom and Dad could "captain a team" and each take two boys shopping. The first team to purchase their gifts, return home, AND gift wrap said presents and put them under the tree won. The prize is usually the losing team makes hot chocolate for the winning team.

Then on the 24th (sometimes the same day as the shopping is completed) we open our family gifts. (As kiddos, my siblings and I were allowed to open one gift on Christmas Eve. This tradition morphed into our current family gift exchange.)

So we think about the other person.  The boys have tried to buy what they wanted, but we ensured they purchased what the recipient wanted by having a list of what each boy wanted ahead of time.

It is always a lot of fun.

PS A red bow on a shopping bag counted as wrapped.