Kids Needs Shepherds, Not Shoppers

It’s that time of year again — when Amazon packages pile up like snowbanks, malls turn into gladiator arenas, and someone somewhere is taking out a second mortgage just to buy an iPad for a 6-year-old who’ll probably use it to watch slime videos. We call it the season of giving. But if we’re honest, it’s often the season of stressing, overspending, and substituting stuff for what kids really need: you.

Don’t get me wrong — I’m no Scrooge. I absolutely love Christmas. My house is lit up like an airport runway, and my kids will open their fair share of presents. But if the last few years have taught me anything, it’s this: our children don’t need more shoppers. They need more shepherds.

Now, that word “shepherd” doesn’t get much airtime anymore unless we’re reading Luke 2 or singing about silent nights. But there’s something powerful about how the Christmas story plays out: the very first people told about the birth of Jesus weren’t kings, scholars, or influencers — they were shepherds. Blue-collar workers. Faithful night-watchers. The kind of people who were quietly doing their job while the rest of the world was asleep.

And when heaven wanted to announce the arrival of the Savior, it didn’t break into the palace — it lit up the pasture.

That image — humble people faithfully watching over their flock — has stuck with me; Especially as a dad trying to lead a family in a world full of noise, distractions, and pressure to perform. Because while our culture tells us to give our kids everything, I think we’ve missed the mark. Our kids don’t need everything. They need us.

Think about it: can your child tell you what they got for Christmas last year? Probably not. But they can tell you about the night you all made cocoa and watched Christmas movies in your pajamas. Or the year you drove around town looking at lights with the windows down and Christmas music blaring. Or that time you read the Christmas story by candlelight before opening gifts.

Kids don’t remember the stuff. They remember the shepherd.

And studies back it up. Research from the Journal of Positive Psychology shows that experiences are more memorable and meaningful than material gifts, especially for children. They crave connection more than consumption. The moments matter more than the merchandise.

But being a shepherd isn’t just about memory-making. It’s about leading. And let’s be real — our culture is full of noise but starving for direction. Screens are raising our kids. Algorithms are shaping their worldview. And in too many homes, parents have become background noise, not spiritual guides.

Scripture presents the shepherd as someone who protects, nurtures, corrects, and leads. David wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Jesus Himself called Himself the Good Shepherd. And in the Christmas story, God entrusts the most important news in human history to literal shepherds — because He knew they’d watch over it.

And that’s what our children need: someone to watch over their hearts, not just their wish lists.

For those of us who believe in the deeper meaning of Christmas, this season isn’t just about festive traditions or twinkling lights. It’s about the arrival of a Savior — one who came not in a display of wealth, but in humility. He wasn’t born in a castle, but a stable. Not wrapped in silk, but in swaddling cloth. And His first visitors were not the elite, but those who stayed up late watching sheep.

If the Son of God came into the world surrounded by simplicity, maybe we can stop chasing extravagance long enough to realize what really matters. Not more gifts. More presence. Not more credit card debt. More connection.

Being a shepherd in your family might not come with applause or Instagram likes. It looks more like late-night talks, bedtime stories, hard conversations, and setting the kind of boundaries that make your teenager roll their eyes (but secretly feel safe). It means praying even when you’re tired, listening even when you’re distracted, and staying consistent even when you’re stretched thin.

Because what your kids really need this Christmas isn’t found at Target or in a UPS box. It’s found in a mom who’s present. A dad who leads. A home where truth is taught, love is lived out, and Christ is honored.

So this year, don’t just wrap the gifts — unwrap your calling. Put down the phone. Turn off the chaos. And be the shepherd your children desperately need in a world that keeps telling them stuff will satisfy.

Because the greatest gift your child will ever receive is not found under the tree.

It was laid in a manger.

And the second-best gift?

Is a parent who points them to Him — one watchful, faithful moment at a time.