Why I REFUSE to buy my kids Christmas or birthday presents

While most of us are battling shopping centre queues, frantically trying not to forget anyone on our lists, one mum is refusing to buy her kids ANY Christmas presents.

Kim Palmer is mum to Louis, four, and eight-month-old, Kingsley, and has never bought a Christmas or a birthday gift for them.

And it's not because the mum can't afford to - she just chooses not to celebrate with presents.

The mum says that although money isn’t a problem for the family of four, she doesn’t want her children “growing up to be spoilt”.

"Parents spend way too much on their children at Christmas in my opinion. Some of the things I see parents buying for their children are absolutely crazy,” she told The Sun Online.

"Christmas should be about spending time with your loved ones, not showering your children with unnecessary gifts for the sake of it."

The 39-year-old insists she loves Christmas and its traditions and wants her kids to as well.

“We will decorate our house with twinkling lights and make sure our children have the best day. The only difference is they won’t receive any presents from us.”

Her reasoning stems from her own childhood experiences and extravagant gift giving is one tradition she isn’t going to continue.

"My Christmas list was always filled with toys and dolls, and on Christmas morning I'd wake to find all my wishes had been granted. But while opening one gift after another, I never truly appreciated what was inside. Instead, I'd look forward to discovering my next magical treat.

 "My worst fear was my children growing up to be spoilt. So when my four-year-old son was born, I told my husband Simon, 38, that I wanted our children to grow up feeling grateful for everything that they're given."

Her decision has caused a bit of controversy and she can understand the pressure parents feel to spoil their children but Kim stands by her choice.

“There’s a lot of peer pressure at Christmas. But the braver, and better, thing to do in the long run is to buy less and try not to follow what other parents are doing.”

Despite Kim not buying gifts for her kids herself, she still allows them to receive presents from family and friends to celebrate the special occasion. Although, it does come with some conditions.

“I don’t have any problems with relatives buying our sons gifts.

“However, we do try to advise our relatives to gift our boys’ things that they need, and fewer things that they want,” says Kim.

What do you think? Do you agree with Kim? How do you think they’d take it?