Family reveals unusual Christmas tree tradition: 'More should do it'

Christmas is often referred to as "the most wonderful time of the year", but the sad reality is that, for many Aussie families, it is anything but. With cost of living stress affecting many households, millions of people are worried about how the holidays will take a toll on their finances.

According to research from Good360 Australia, one in two people surveyed are worried about affording gifts for their family. For parents who want to make the festive season as magical for their kids as possible, this time of the year can be fraught with worry and guilt.

However, Christmas can also provide the opportunity for teachable moments as parents encourage their children to give back and help those less fortunate by way of donating to toy drives, charities and op-shops.

Product Stewardship Manager for Vinnies, Lauren Hussey-Berlin, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that this is (happily) becoming more common.

"We are seeing parents teach their children about responsible and conscious shopping habits. Plus, there is less packaging waste by shopping for pre-loved toys, which is great from a sustainability point of view."

Parents encourage kids to donate toys at Christmas

This is an approach one mum took, sharing her efforts on Facebook and encouraging others to do the same.

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"New family tradition," they wrote. "Every year my girls get a trash bag(s) and fill it with toys and stuff animals that they no longer play with, they then put under the Tree for Santa to take back to North Pole, and he can fix them up and give them to children next year. I love doing this with them, and they absolutely love it! (I will take bags to Salvation Army or a Toy drop for Children). I love this idea and more should do it."

The post, which has been shared almost 2000 times, generated hundreds of comments from people who were on board with the generous idea and keen to share their own iterations.

"We used to have our daughter pack up the number of things of her birthday to give to less fortunate. When she turned 5, she gave away 5 items," one person replied.

"We take a day every December ( a few weeks before Christmas) and whatever the kids decide to give away, I bring them with me to donate. My daughter lights up every time someone thanks her for her kind donation. She is so proud and happy to help others," another wrote.

"We did giving baskets the first full day the tree was up. My 3-year-old filled them with toys she didn't play with anymore and her letter to Santa. The next morning she found the baskets empty with a letter from the elves saying thank you," was another response.

Many other people praised the original poster for their kindness and for teaching their kids about the importance of giving back.

When is the best time to donate to charity shops?

Several people suggested that perhaps the donations could be made earlier in December, so that struggling parents could purchase them from charity shops before Christmas so they'd have gifts for their kids on the day.

"Try to do this before Christmas!! Might help people who can’t afford new stuff," one person suggested.

"Do it before Christmas, so they can be delivered this year," another said.

"I've seen a post saying after Christmas everyone takes bags of stuff to the thrift stores to clean out all the extra clutter, but we should do it before because a lot of people go to the thrift shop before Christmas in a pinch or tight budget looking for Christmas gifts," another added. "Just a thought. But I love this idea too. I'm going to try this!!"

"We often get an influx of toys post Christmas, but this year we’re encouraging people to donate their pre-loved goods in the lead up to Christmas," Lauren says. "If families can donate clean and undamaged toys pre-Christmas, that will mean a smile for another child on Christmas Day, while at the same time generating funds for the Vinnies initiatives and services we provide to the community."

What to donate to your local charity shop this Christmas:

If you are planning to donate this Christmas (or anytime), Kate Pascoe, Communications Manager for Vinnies, suggests:

• Men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories

• Men’s, women’s and children’s shoes (paired)

• Jewellery

• Children's toys

• Books

• CD's and DVD's

• Homewares, including Manchester

"We love your quality donations," Kate says. "Please ensure your items are clean, undamaged, good quality and lightly worn. We like to say - if you’d give it to a mate, then it’s good to donate."

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Adds Lauren, "If people donate quality items, it will go straight into shops for sale. Quality donations means clean, and where possible, lightly used.

"The faster we turn a donation into funds, the faster we provide services to the community."

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