It makes me chuckle a little when people express the opinion that Christmas has become so commercialized. To my way of thinking, business does what it always has done – companies come up with new and inventive products they think people want and then they come up with new and inventive ways to get people to buy things they may or may not want or need. Yes, I admit, it annoys that the beginning of the Christmas advertising season seems to start a little earlier every year.

But if Christmas has evolved into being all about the gifts and how much each one costs, perhaps we should hold advertising responsible and not blame the holiday for something it didn’t do. After all, Christmas is us: it’s a celebration of our religious beliefs; it’s a holiday we take part in irregardless of what we personally believe because it’s an integral part of the cultural fabric of our country; it’s a day off from work. Whatever the holiday means to each one of us personally, it’s up to each individual to decide how they will enjoy the holiday season, and that includes how much to spend.

There’s no denying that advertising intensifies around holidays like St. Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. And especially around this time of year, the ads for all kinds of new games, activities and toys are aimed directly at children. That does concern me, since their little minds are like sponges and they eagerly take in everything around them. I’ve been lucky with my daughter Louisa: after a trip to Toys R Us when she was four she kept asking me to explain how toys can be us since toys aren’t people. To this day, she questions everything she sees in an advertisement that doesn’t make sense to her. Of my two children destined to buy a brand name product just because they’ve seen it on TV, my son Bobby is more likely to be influenced by ads than my daughter.

The experts warn us that while commercialism can affect children at an early age, its negative side effects, including materialism, unrealistic expectations and destructive financial management, might not manifest themselves until later in life. If commercialism during the holidays (and year-round) concerns you, there are ways to combat its overpowering influence.

• Limit TV watching to a specific amount of time per day.
• Until they are five, restrict their TV time to programming for children that doesn’t include advertising. If the local station or cable company in your area doesn’t offer this alternative, borrow or rent kids’ movies and TV programs from the library or your favorite DVD rental place and let your children watch these instead.
• Set the example. Break the habit of buying things: check first to see if it can be repaired, repurposed or recycled. Instead of buying more decorations for the trees, make them (spending crafts time with your kids is the pay-off). Rather than decorating the front door or the dining table with a store-bought wreath or centerpiece, design and make your own.
• Buy toys for your children that don’t need updates, add-ons, etc. Giving them toys like a jump rope, a rocking horse, drawing materials like a coloring book or a pad of paper and chalk/water colors/crayons or a dollhouse will help them discover their creativity and develop their imaginations.
• Encourage and promote activities that don’t require any money, such as walk to a nearby playground or park; sidewalk games like hopscotch; an impromptu family picnic.

Lisa, mom of a son (5) and a daughter (11)