Christmas might be the season of giving, and for many folks that means trips to the mall or filling their online shopping carts in order to score the best deal on the hottest items of the year. But for a growing number of families?mine included?it also means opting for less extravagant gift giving traditions this year.
After making it through the biggest phase of our never-ending basement renovation, not only is my bank account telling me that our holiday gift-giving will need to be a little more modest this year, my conscience is also feeling like maybe all the paper, plastic and other waste that comes with holiday gift-giving is a bit too much. Which is why this year, we?re opting for giving pre-loved gifts to those on our list.
Our kids have plenty of toys as it is, and they?re hard on them. Their toys will look used within minutes of coming out of the box anyways, so there?s really no big deal giving them something that?s already seen a little action. And they?ve never batted an eye when we?ve picked up something during the year that?s been used already, so Christmas morning shouldn’t be any different. While it once might have been considered tacky, cheap or just plain weird to give a used gift, with growing concerns about the environment, and the increasing ease with which parents can find new or very gently used second hand toys, the idea of re-gifting or giving something slightly used is becoming more and more palatable.

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