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How to explain the recession to your kids
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This year has been tough on so many families including mine. With only one income, private school and tons of bills, we will cut our Christmas list to just the kids in our family, our parents, three teachers and our mail carrier. We will tell our boys that Santa will NOT bring tons of gifts on Dec. 25 but instead, SECRET SANTA will drop off one gift per day for 12 days and one large gift on Christmas day. (Ideas: hand-knitted hats one day, coupons like "choose your favorite dinner" or "choose the movie we watch as a family" another, and small items you can buy at the Dollar Store such as Christmas mugs filled with a hot cocoa packet.)
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