Christmas shopping with your kids can get a bit challenging at times. Just imagine all the massive toy displays that you’ll encounter on almost every corner of the mall. It’s just impossible for your kids not to notice them. And chances are they would also want them all. Luckily, one mom has come up with a brilliant Christmas hack to prevent all the potential mall meltdowns and tantrums that this encounter can bring.Â
Kristina Watts, a mom of three from Belfair, Washington, took to social media to share her genius trick. It turns out that all you have to do is create a photo wish list for your kids.
One mom has shared a genius hack to make holiday shopping with your kids a little less problematic
Watts revealed that the idea came to her when they packed Christmas toys for a local Title 1 elementary school. Â
“Our town was hit by Hurricane Michael, a Cat. 5 hurricane, and it was devastating. I was approached to help find a way to provide Christmas toys for a local Title 1 Elementary school.”
Watts takes photos of her daughter with the toys that she likes…
She then created an Amazon Wishlist for 500 kids, from kindergarten to 5th grade, and asked help from her friends. Within days, they started receiving toys from people all over the US. They even had their own USPS truck to deliver the toys to them for a week.
…and tells her that she’ll send it to Santa for his reference
At the time, it was inevitable for her two-year-old daughter Emmie to want to open all the packages. At her age, Emmie didn’t understand then that those toys were not for her.  So, Watts came up with the idea of snapping some photos of her daughter with the toys that she liked. While doing so, she also told her daughter that maybe she could get one in the future too. Â
“It worked. She stopped trying to get everything out of its package. She’d carry it around, take a picture, and put it back.”
In the end, Watts and her family were able to provide toys to 1,100 kids at their local elementary schools. She believes that her hack works because it gives her child a sense of attention and validation. Â
“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.”
However, Watts shared that there are also parents who criticize her for not saying “no” to her kids straightforwardly. In turn, here’s her response: Â
“Believe me, my children hear ‘NO.’ A lot. This post was just something fun and quick I threw up on Facebook one night. I’m not trying to be a parenting guru, I’m by no means the perfect parent. I’m just another mom, running all the Christmas errands, trying to make shopping a little easier and a little more fun.”
Furthermore, she also said that her trick “is just another way to prevent some tears and get through.” Plus, having a bunch of her daughter’s photos on her phone is just cute.
Here’s what people think about Watts’ witty Christmas mom hack
