Mom learned something surprising after asking teen one question ahead of holiday season, explains why every parent should do the same
As the holiday season arrives, many parents might have already started thinking about what to get their kids for Christmas. That's why one mom wants parents to ask their kids this one question before they add another thing to their "Amazon cart." The woman, Andrea Dahms, who goes by @andrea.k.dahms on Instagram, asked the same question to her 13-year-old daughter. The girl's response highlighted how Andrea's idea about holiday gift-giving makes complete sense. The brief clip received over 9.1 million views.
"Before you add another thing to your Amazon cart, ask your child this," the text overlay of the video read. "Name three gifts that you got for Christmas last year," the mom asked her daughter, Brinley. The teen thought about it for a moment and asked, "Like from you guys?" Andrea told her that she could name any gifts that she had received. "I don't remember," Brinley remarked, chuckling a little. "Where did we take our family vacation this year?" the mom asked next. Brinley quickly answered, "Lake Tahoe," highlighting that she remembered the experience more than the gifts she had gotten. The mom explained what the family had planned for Christmas because of the very same question.
"They need your presence more than your presents. We are considering taking a trip this Christmas break instead of exchanging gifts. Would love your ideas!" the caption explained. The mom told TODAY.com, "I don't want parents to stress over gifts like I sometimes have. It's OK if the presents aren't perfect, or even if they can't remember them later. What matters is the time you spend together." She added, "We're talking about doing a scavenger hunt on Christmas Day that gives clues to a trip, or maybe a long weekend in a cabin. The focus is on being together." Many people shared the mom's sentiment in the comments section of the video.
@eicarg_9 wrote, "Dang! My kids were happy with one gift. We really didn't do much, but at the same time, we did. Getting together has always been the greatest gift to all of us." @lifewithmamameg commented, "This made me sob. In a week, I will be losing my full-time job and I was so stressed out after seeing the big extravagant gifts on social media that I'm 'supposed' to buy for my toddlers. I know they need me to be present with them more than anything, but I needed this reminder." @ali.manno remarked, "I love this so much. But I will say if you asked my daughter the same question, she could name you 15 gifts she got for Christmas last year. Ha! The girl has a memory like you wouldn't believe!"
@destinydarlin.nunez shared, "Out of the gifts I received for Christmas growing up, my favorite was a Snuggie. We were so poor. I was an angel on a tree that year. And a stranger bought me a snuggie. Still have it. Still use it. Still one of my favorite gifts. Thank you to the stranger who brought me so much joy when I had nothing." @equisalesporthorses expressed, "This is us…We travel all over the place with our kids and we have so many amazing memories. We get them things, but we try not to get into the materialistic." The mom often shares snippets of her life on the platform. In one video, she shared what a day at homeschool looks like for her kids.
You can follow Andrea Dahms (@andrea.k.dahms) on Instagram for more lifestyle content.