Why Your Kids Should Start Making Their Holiday Wish Lists Right Now

Most of us don't even want to think about the winter holidays until after all of the Halloween candy has been consumed. But although the winter holidays still seem far away, we are actually only 10 weeks out from Christmas Day, and now is the best time to start working on your gift shopping-especially if you have kids. Here are five reasons to get them started on their wishlists before donning any costumes.

It saves money

The most obvious reason to start planning for holiday gifts well in advance is the ability to shop during seasonal sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday (and the weeks leading up to them), when you can get decent deals on everything from tech toys to clothing, especially from major retailers. While savings vary widely, the average discount across 13 big-box stores in 2023 was 35%, according to WalletHub. Shopping early also allows you to track and compare prices over a longer period of time, avoid last-minute demand-related increases, and catch other sales, even at smaller stores and from more niche brands.

It helps you stay within budget

According to a survey from NerdWallet, nearly half of parents with kids under 18 feel pressure to overspend on holiday gifts, and 13% plan to use emergency savings to cover those costs. The further in advance you are able to account for the cost of gifts, the better you can know how said shopping will fit within your (realistic) budget-and perhaps you'll also be less likely to spend emotionally under pressure.

Planning ahead can also help you account for other related costs, such as teacher's gifts and holiday parties, as well as allow time to shop secondhand or utilize other thrifty strategies, such as buying on Facebook Marketplace.

It (almost) guarantees delivery

Thanks to Amazon, many kids and teens think anything can be delivered in two days or less, and those with specific tastes in apparel and accessories from smaller online shops may not realize that these items can take weeks to arrive-especially during the busy holiday season. While shipping carriers do publish holiday deadlines (usually set for about a week before Dec. 25, depending on package type), placing an order in mid-December doesn't guarantee your gifts will be processed and sent in time. Waiting until the last minute also increases the risk of items being out of stock or backordered, which means they definitely won't arrive by the holidays. Ask your kids this: Would you rather open that poster you really want for your bedroom, or would you rather open a note that says the poster will arrive in mid-January?

It simplifies shipping and wrapping

If you're able to order gifts with weeks (or months) to spare, you don't have to scramble to get items wrapped and delivered at the last minute. This is especially helpful if you're traveling for the holidays and want to bring gifts with you or know that you'll have the extra time to have them sent to you, wrapped, and then sent back out to their final destination with time to spare.

It allows you to be more intentional

Planning for kids' holiday gifts can save time, money, and stress, but a less frantic process can also help keep gifting aligned with what matters to you and your family rather than spending just to cross the finish line at the last minute. If you begin collecting wishlists now, you can also have honest conversations with your kids about what's realistic and meaningful for holiday giving.