It was an honest mistake, and the kid will prefer a toy to a gift card.

It’s crucial to instill gratitude in your children. It doesn’t matter if they hate the gift their Aunt Darlene gave them for Christmas…they should act as if it’s the greatest gift they’ve ever received! Nobody has to get you a gift at any juncture in your life, so it’s important to always show that you’re grateful when somebody chooses to get you something, whether it’s exactly what you wanted or not. 

Despite everyone’s best efforts, Christmas doesn’t always go exactly as planned. Everyone wants everyone to be 100% thrilled with the presents they get, and that’s just not possible. Someone is going to be slightly disappointed with what Santa gave them, and that’s okay. Someone is going to spill the eggnog on the decorative Christmas tablecloth, and everyone is going to survive that. The most important thing about Christmas is spending time with the people we love, and not getting hung up on all the little things. If we make a big deal out of a minor mistake in front of kids, it might teach them that every mistake they make will be the end of the world, and that’s no good.