Mums and dads have flocked to Facebook to share their enthusiasm for the "four gift" Christmas present rule.
The resurgence started when one mum asked what she should buy for her four children - aged one, two, six and nine.
Her post was flooded with other parents telling her to try the four-gift rule.
"Yes we have done that for the past 3 years, I love it. We also add one gift from Santa," one wrote.
Another added: "We're going to do that this year. Trying to have a more minimalist Christmas with quality over quantity."
Mum Faye told Kidspot : "I got fed up with constant landfill and found we were buying too many unnecessary things for Christmas.
"I've been doing it for about three years now and the kids are way more appreciative than getting heaps of presents they don't use."
The 'four-present' rule explained
Put simply, the rule places gifts in four categories, meaning you can cover your bases and make sure your little ones aren't disappointed.
The categories are:
- Something they want
- Something they need
- Something they wear
- Something they read
Some parents swap "something they wear" with "somewhere to go" or "something to give", but those are the main four parents turn to.
Others said that they add in a fifth gift from Father Christmas, which is often edible, and if you do stockings too then they are extra too.
Of course, while great in theory, it's not always possible to pull off.
“Every year this is my plan and every year I fail,” mum Belinda told Kidspot .
Pilar, a mum of three, said she was in the same boat. “I try and usually fail to follow it. We’re a family of five in a two-bedroom apartment, so the rule is almost a necessity.
"The reason I fail is I do some of my Christmas shopping during the year so I lose track of how much I’ve actually purchased. One day I’m sure I’ll succeed!”
Others manage rather better - and Kidspot writer Leah Goulis even admitted to doing it accidentally, without realising it was a "thing".
