Tia Mowry planned to give her children experiences instead of traditional gifts this Christmas, believing that memories would last longer than toys.
The former sister, Sister Star, who has 14-year-old Cree and seven-year-old Cairo with ex-husband Cory Hardrict, said going out and doing things as a family was far more meaningful than the excitement of unwrapping presents.
“I try to give my kids more experiences during the holidays,” she told E! News.
“My family growing up, we were so fixated on putting presents under the tree, which is great and great for kids.
But when there are experiences around tradition, you keep those memories longer.”
Tia explained that her own childhood memories inspired her approach: “I can’t tell you what my gifts were when I was 14, 15, 17, 18 years old, but what I can tell you are the memories I made from the trips I had with my family.
So I would like to do more of that during the holidays.”
The actress further said that her family still enjoyed holiday traditions like decorating the tree, eating sweets and listening to carols.
However, Christmas movies were also important as she looked forward to watching her upcoming Netflix movie, My Secret Santa Claus with her children while sipping hot cocoa.
Tia & Tamera star recently emphasized that parents should guide their children instead of trying to make them happy.
She told parents, “I don’t think it’s your job to make your kids happy. I think it’s your job to keep your kids safe, nurture them, guide them, but they have to learn on their own how to make themselves happy, because we don’t want to create co-dependency.”
Tia added that her own childhood shaped how she raised her children, “I wanted my children to never be afraid to express themselves,” Tia said.
