Parents Cancel Christmas for 'Entitled' and 'Disrespectful' Kids

Forget the Grinch: one family in Utah is going the whole way and canceling Christmas.

John and Lisa Henderson told their three sons they can forget about presents, Santa and stockings this year. They hope their drastic action will put an end to their kids' sense of "entitlement" and "disrespect."

Image source: Overthebigmoon.com

“We gave them good warning, either it was time for their behavior to change or there would be consequences,” Lisa Henderson wrote in a Nov. 24 blog post.

Lisa said she and her husband both worked with the kids for several months. When there was little change to their behavior, John suggested they give Santa the boot.

“They are learning exactly what we wanted them to learn, because they are not moping around feeling sorry for themselves. They are thinking of others," Lisa wrote.

However, the family isn't doing away with Christmas in every sense: Lisa said they didn't cancel putting up decorations, celebrating the birth of their savior or any of their other traditions.

"We really want Christmas to be remembered for the right reasons and to keep the focus on the savior and the feeling of giving. That is the true essence of Christmas," she wrote.

So instead of sending a wish list to Santa, tearing into presents on Christmas morning and digging into their stockings, the Henderson kids will write letters asking Santa to find someone who needs their presents more. John and Lisa will be taking the money they would have spent on presents and putting it toward service projects and gifts for others.

Image source: Overthebigmoon.com

"We will be choosing two families for the 12 days of Christmas. Each day we will deliver a different piece of the nativity. On Christmas day we will give them the last piece of the nativity, baby Jesus ... We are also looking into an Adopt-a-Grandparent program. For Christmas dinner we have invited several older widows and couples in our area that don’t have family around to eat with us," Lisa said.

She then challenged parents to take a step back and examine their motivation for buying presents for their children.

"Obviously we enjoy giving to our kids. That is not bad! But, have we gone too far?" she asked.

(H/T: KTLA-TV)

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