Teach your kids about tradition – and that television commercials are for suckers.

If your kids have a gift list a mile long of all store-bought stuff, it’s time to curl up by the fire and tell everyone the modern day holiday story: How Retailers Hijacked Christmas: The Myth About Debt Being Normal and Presents Mandatory. Because the only thing normal and mandatory at holiday time, people, is vodka (our inlaws are coming…..)Here are the messages you’ll want to get across this year.

1) Commercials are for suckers. Companies spend billions of dollars on ads that trick you into wanting things you don’t need. Their goal is to get your money and they don’t care if you could have spent those dollars on school or medicine or somthing that makes you smarter, such as books or piano lessons. They’ll lure cash out of your hands by making their toys look really shiny and fun – but don’t worry, they’ll still break the next day.  Don’t forget to mention that scientists have discovered human beings quickly adapt to their stuff, so after a few days the happiness these things bring fades. And you’re bored again.

2) The best part of Christmas is the wager we all place about what time grandma and grandpa will start arguing loudly over the best way to carve a turkey, or something else most people wouldn’t bother discussing at all. Though you probably have your own holiday traditions. Regardless, those times are what you’ll all remember forever. No traditions? Even better, let your kids come up with the annual activity they’d like to institute every year , such as ice skating on Christmas day or, perhaps they’d feel more comfortable performing the traditional Jewish Christmas ritual of going to the movies and Chinese food.

3) Giving is better than receiving, and that’s particularly true of your time. If your kids don’t believe they’re fortunate, show them by together volunteering at a local shelter. You can bake cookies for those kids, pack up gently used toys, or do all three. Just make arrangements in advance because even Santa has a standing appointment each year.

4) The best store bought gifts have great meaning. Sweaters for the ski trip you’ll be taking, pajamas for camping, books for school or even – if your kids are luckier than ours – computers for research projects. You can give shares of stock to teach about saving, investing and economic principles or music for exercise classes and jogging.