Katie Katie Parsons is the creator of Mumbling Mommy and is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist. She works from her home office on the east coast of Florida. Most often she writes about life in a combined family of five children and what it's like being a full time work-from-home parent. Feel free to pitch guest post ideas or just drop her a line at katie@mumblingmommy.com.

I find “Black Friday” to be quite the nuisance. I love shopping and getting good deals just as much as the next gal. And with three small children now, playing Santa takes quite a bit of planning ahead and saving up but when it comes to the idea of Christmas starting immediately after Thanksgiving, I just can’t get on board.

 

Within in minutes of Halloween ending, stores were decorated in red and green. Sparkling cardboard cutouts of trees and ornaments hung  from the ceilings. Radio stations already played Jingle Bells and Silent Night. Did Thanksgiving get lost in translation? Is Thanksgiving just another part of “the holiday season” like many say?

 

A newer trend on Facebook is for November to be deemed 30 Days of Thankful. Many, including myself, post each day something they are thankful for. Even though I agree with the skeptics that you should be thankful for the people and things in your life every day, I like seeing statuses about something other than how Christmas has crept into yet another month of the year.

 

So Thanksgiving ends and less than nano seconds later, all that sentimental thankfulness and joy and love for family immediately goes away. Parents go out ravage each other fighting for that one coolest toy as if their child will hate them if Santa doesn’t make it appear. I’m not saying my daughter has never thrown a tantrum over not receiving something but we’ve make it a point to teach her the whole “the thought that counts” mantra. She’s three. It’s a work in progress. But that doesn’t mean we don’t try.

 

We will not be shopping on Black Friday. Scratch that, we might go out as a family just for giggles or the experience but we will not be up at 4 a.m. (unless one of the twinfants wants some milk). We will not be leaving our turkey dinner early. We will not be worried about scoring the hottest and coolest things. We will be thankful for what we have; thankful for another year together, thankful we have jobs to allow us to even give to the ones we love.

 

Maybe Black Friday can save you some money. If it’s your thing, by all means, do not let me stop you. But the monetary savings are not worth it to me. You have to sacrifice things more important in my opinion: sleep and time with your family.

 

So think twice before heading out today (or well, if you already went, maybe make different plans next year?)