Join hosts Sandy, Sam, Kelly, and Justin for Episode 21 of On the Ground Parenting as they tackle the holiday season's challenge: navigating gift-giving to minimize "toy clutter" and focus on intentional, meaningful exchanges.

We share experiences with the chaos and joy that holiday gifts bring:

• The Struggle with Noise and Space: A common theme is the "havoc" created by well-meaning relatives who choose noisy, battery-operated, or oversized toys. The stories include Kelly's father-in-law's desire to buy a drum, Sam's experience with a hand-me-down, child-sized accordion, and the frequent disappointment of remote-control cars.
• Prioritizing Thoughtful Exchange: Justin highlights his family's unique strategy of "re-gifting" their own toys to cousins, transforming the clutter challenge into a playful competition to pass along the biggest item. He also notes how his children place higher value on their handmade creations—such as scribbled cards presented "like they are handing you a golden chalice"—than on store-bought items. Sam shares a perfect example of genuine thoughtfulness: her son John's plan to buy his younger, blanket-obsessed brother a larger, fuzzier blanket.

A Call for Support:

This episode also serves as a special platform for the Muskoka Family Focus Parent Ed team to request support, either with a one-time donation or by signing up for our Patreon, https://patreon.com/OnTheGroundParenting. We need your financial support to ensure we can continue offering free educational programming and keep the podcast running. Donations over $20 are tax-deductible.