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Sevenoaks mum refuses to buy her children any Christmas gifts so they won't be "spoilt"

10:45, 14 December 2018

updated: 11:19, 14 December 2018

A mum will not buy her children any Christmas presents to prevent them from becoming "spoilt".

Kim Palmer, 39, a mother of two and a businesswoman has never bought her son Louis, 4, any festive gifts - let alone anything for his birthday.

She has resolved to do the same for her second son Kingsley, who is just eight months old.

Kim Palmer, 39, with her eight-month-old son Kingsley
Kim Palmer, 39, with her eight-month-old son Kingsley

Mrs Palmer told The Sun Online: "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 that I wanted our children to grow up feeling grateful for everything that they're given.

Therefore, she decided that she would not buy presents for her children at Christmas.

As the CEO of wellness brand Clementine, finance is not the motivating reason for her parenting method.

Kim Palmer wants to make sure her children aren't spoilt. Picture: clementineappuk/Instagram
Kim Palmer wants to make sure her children aren't spoilt. Picture: clementineappuk/Instagram

However, there are notable exceptions to the rule, meaning that Louis and Kingsley are unlikely to be empty-handed on the day.

Mrs Palmer added: "I don’t have any problems with relatives buying our sons gifts.

"My husband has a very large family and my parents send them special presents over from New Zealand, so they’ll never be short of presents to open on Christmas Day.

"After all, we want them to have the real Christmas experience.

"However, we do try to advise our relatives to gift our boys things that they need, and fewer things that they want.

"In the lead up to Christmas, if we feel they’ve been given too many presents, we may hold some back to give to them at a later date."

Kim Palmer and her husband Simon both share the same values. Picture: clementineappuk/Instagram
Kim Palmer and her husband Simon both share the same values. Picture: clementineappuk/Instagram

Mrs Palmer feels that peer pressure on parents leads to them "showering children with unnecessary gifts for the sake of it."

"Instead we try to focus on having experiences together and making memories as a family, rather than making it all about the material things.

"However, this is proving to be harder as they grow up. Kids are growing up in a world that over-stimulates them."

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