Life
Mom fed up with kid begging for toys in stores – comes up with hack that puts a stop to it
Know any impatient children this holiday season? This hack might help.
Ashley Willis
12.10.19

It’s that time of the year again. The aisles are full of new items and commercials fill our screens with all of the new gadgets and gift ideas.

This can be exciting but as a parent, it can feel overwhelming. The pressure is on to surprise the kids with some of their most desired gifts.

https://pixabay.com/photos/girl-gift-presents-christmas-xmas-2931287/
Pixabay
Source:
Pixabay

You might not harbor the desire to get your kids everything they want but you just want to see them happy. The cool thing about happiness is that it’s in the little things.

Simply listening and paying attention to what your kids are showing and telling you can make a world of a difference. This is something Kristina Watts from Belfair, Washington, learned as she was out shopping with her family.

https://www.facebook.com/KristinaKay84/photos_all
Kristina Watts
Source:
Kristina Watts

She noticed, like all parents, her kids were very specific on what they wanted. Which was pretty much everything.

She began doing something she started doing the year before. She snapped photos of her daughter holding the item that she wanted to add on her Christmas list.

She shared in a Facebook post:

“Once again my camera roll is FULL of pictures of Emerson with every single thing she wants for Christmas. Why…because it’s the most amazing parenting hack ever and has stopped MANY meltdowns!”

https://www.facebook.com/KristinaKay84/photos_all
Kristina Watts
Source:
Kristina Watts

She says the magic is in giving your kids attention and letting them know that you hear them and that you care.

“Like you’re listening to them and getting excited with them. I’m not promising Emmie all of these toys, nor does she get them all. It’s just hope and joy. It’s the modern-day version of circling all the toys in the JC Penney catalog. We never thought we’d get it all, but it’s fun to dream and feel like your parents are looking.”

https://www.facebook.com/KristinaKay84/photos_all
Kristina Watts
Source:
Kristina Watts

This is a very good point! Most of us, young and old, just want to be heard.

https://www.facebook.com/KristinaKay84/photos_all
Kristina Watts
Source:
Kristina Watts

The proof is in the pudding:

“Magically, Emmie smiles, says cheese, asks to see the picture, then PUTS THE TOY DOWN AND WALKS AWAY. It’s magical. No tears. No tantrums (by either of us). And she forgets about all of them within minutes.”

https://www.facebook.com/KristinaKay84/photos_all
Kristina Watts
Source:
Kristina Watts

The idea came about when their town was hit by a category five hurricane last year. When she was asked to provide toys for the elementary school, Lucille Moore Elementary, she jumped on the opportunity.

Typically, it’s the church that would do so but everyone was struggling to work with what they had.

She told Bored Panda:

“So I made an Amazon Wishlist for all 500 kids, kindergarten – 5th grade, and went LIVE on Facebook and called my friends to action. Within days, our house was filled with toys from people all over the US. Then we added a second school and before we knew it, we had our own USPS truck delivering toys for a week.”

https://www.facebook.com/KristinaKay84/photos_all
Kristina Watts
Source:
Kristina Watts

That’s amazing!

https://www.facebook.com/KristinaKay84/photos_all
Kristina Watts
Source:
Kristina Watts

At the time, her daughter was two-years-old and practically wanted every toy that was in their house.

“We had about $45,000 worth of toys and Razor scooters in our garage and bedroom. Our kids helped my husband and I unbox and organize all of them. Of course, as a two-year-old, you want all the toys that are in your own house. Dolls, arts and crafts, everything you can imagine. It was like having our own toy store. [Emmie] wanted to open and play with everything and did not understand that they weren’t for her.”

https://www.facebook.com/KristinaKay84/photos_all
Kristina Watts
Source:
Kristina Watts

Thus, she began snapping photos of her daughter with the toys she liked so that maybe, later on, Santa would bring them to her. She noticed that her daughter would then put the toy back and leave it alone.

It was a Christmas miracle in the Watts’ residence!

https://www.facebook.com/KristinaKay84/photos_all
Kristina Watts
Source:
Kristina Watts

The best part of the year? Every child at Lucille Moore Elementary received a toy and scooter last year!

https://www.facebook.com/KristinaKay84/photos_all
Kristina Watts
Source:
Kristina Watts

What an awesome story! Keep up the great work, Kristina!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Article Sources:
To learn more read our Editorial Standards.
Advertisement