When a mama asks for experience gifts for her kids for Christmas, please don’t take it as she’s ungrateful or a Scrooge. She appreciates the love her children get, she really does.

But she’s tired.

She’s tired of the endless number of toys that sit in the bottom of a toy bin and never see the light of day.

She’s tired of tripping over the hundreds of LEGOs and reminding her son to pick them up so the baby doesn’t find them and choke.

She’s tired of having four Elsa dolls (we have baby Elsa, Barbie Elsa, a mini Elsa, and a musical Elsa), and never seeing them played with.

She’s tired of watching her kids open up gifts and bypassing them without a hint of gratitude because they’re on to the next toy to open. She wants to raise them with a grateful heart and to not get too wrapped up in all the stuff.

She just wants fewer things that will all too soon be forgotten about in a matter of days.

She just wants more memories.

Spending a day at the indoor water park during winter break from school. Going bowling or roller skating. Going to the movies or taking them to some sporting event. Trips to the zoo or seeing Disney on Ice.

She wants her kids to know what the true meaning of Christmas is—the gift of God’s Son to the world—and what that means for her children. She wants them to grow up and treasure the memories of going to church on Christmas Eve, making Jesus a birthday cake, reading the Nativity story, and giving to those who are truly in need.

From My Grieving Mama Heart to Yours, Please Give Your Children These 7 Gifts This Christmas

That’s what Christmas is about for my family, and all I want for Christmas is for them to know what is truly important—faith and family.

So that’s why I’m asking for experience gifts this year.

So it’s more about the memories made . . . and less about the things under the tree.