I haven’t even bought my preschooler’s Halloween costume yet and they’re already being shuffled down the shelves to make room for Santa.

I can tell that the Christmas creep—the phenomenon by which Christmas merchandise seems to appear on the shelves earlier each year—is reaching my kids because one of my sons has already brought me his wish list.

Christmas is over two months away, and the kids are already getting geared up. It’s too early even to start an Advent calendar! What can we do to keep things in check?

Christmas Creep Is A Longstanding Tradition, With Some Good Reasons

Okay, the crafting folks, the people trying to buy a little out of each paycheck so that Christmas isn’t a single big expense in December, and the people who are just planners by nature all appreciate products being available early.

And no, it’s not new, despite how it feels. Contingent Magazine dug into the history and reported:

“In 1944, the Cincinnati Enquirer warned that ‘some of us will become so tired of seeing Santa hanging around weeks on end we’ll be taking pot shots at him.’ Earlier still, in 1913, the Sioux Falls Argus marveled that ‘the fourth of July flags and bunting’ are barely ‘taken down before the Christmas holly and mistletoe go up.’ And way back in 1883, the Washington Evening Star remarked that ‘the holiday season of trade seems to begin earlier every year,’ with jolly storefronts occupying entire city blocks — weeks before the holiday.”

And realistically, everyone could use some cheer right now, especially parents.

The Downside: Christmas Is A Lot Of Work (And Often Stress)

Unfortunately, when you’re a parent, Christmas isn’t just carols, cocoa, and family time. It’s also lists, shopping, double-checking that the lights work, that there are enough batteries, and that the tree isn’t a fire hazard.

When Christmas hits the shelves and our kids’ line of sight in October, that means ten weeks or so of “Mom, I want…” and “When can we…” and “Can Santa bring…” and other similar questions. That gets exhausting pretty quickly.

We don’t want to ruin the magic of Christmas for our kids by getting frustrated or telling them to stop talking about it, so we need some tricks for holding off the barrage.

Start With A Calendar

Use the paper calendar your electric company sends out, a whiteboard-style one with magnets, or draw your own. Any kind will do, as long as it shows October, November, and December.

Mark important dates between now and then, like Halloween and Thanksgiving, so that your child can visualize how far away Christmas really is. You can explain that it’s okay to be excited about Christmas but that there are other big events to focus on first.

If the regular questions are about when certain things are happening, like putting up the tree, you can mark a date for that on your calendar. Even if the date changes before then, having a tentative plan will help demonstrate to your kids that the tree will go up, and that there is a plan for it.

Talk About Why Waiting Matters

If you use a live tree, you can talk to your kids about how they start turning brown and drying out after a while, so it’s important to put it up closer to Christmas, not too early.

If they’re old enough to understand, you can talk about religious and cultural traditions that dictate the dates of specific holidays and why we celebrate them on that day rather than just whenever we feel like it. You can also show them how community events—Christmas parades, city decorations lightings, celebrations at school and/or church—center around the relevant dates.

Emphasize The Meaning Of Christmas

Kids’ awareness of Christmas often centers on Santa and presents. That makes perfect sense, especially for folks who can’t yet hold jobs and buy their own toys.

However, that’s not the only, or the central, meaning for most adults.

For many, the primary importance of Christmas is its value in their religious beliefs. You can speak to your child about how Christmas holds a revered place in the calendar and why it matters to you. If your church is holding a Christmas play, nativity, or other event, you can utilize this to help them make a spiritual connection.

For others, Christmas is about giving, spending time with family, and a feast of lights that celebrates the sun’s return. Explain these meanings to your child, and consider finding volunteer opportunities or other events that support these values.

Give Your Child A Time Limit For Lists

If, like my son, your child is already writing lists, let them write. Set a date and put it on your calendar based on when you plan to shop.

For example, you may choose mid-November. Mark November 15th, and tell your kids, “You hold on to the list until this date. You can re-write or edit as much as you please until then, but on that date, you pass them over and I send on to Santa.”

This combats the urge to submit a completely new list every day between now and Christmas and any urgent last-second changes after gifts are already hidden in your closet.

Set Limits On Early Christmas Browsing

When your child wants to check out the Christmas (and toy) aisles, set a limit in advance. This might be that they can look at the Christmas candy, but you’re not buying any until December, or that they can check out the toy aisle but must add any wants to their list at home rather than pleading for them now.

Whatever limits you set, communicate them in advance, and plan to enact consequences—such as moving away from the exciting parts of the store—immediately if necessary.

Allowing some at-home browsing may help, too. My daughter’s current favorite book is a catalog a retailer mailed to advertise all their Christmas toys. Our current limit is that she can look at the toys as much as she wants, but she’ll have to wait to tell Santa what she wants when he visits town in December.

Fill The Intervening Time With Activities & Busyness

Within the limits of your schedule, add events to the calendar to keep your kids occupied in the meantime. Scatter them as widely as possible, so there’s always something to look forward to a few days away.

These don’t all have to be huge events, either.

It could be a promise to watch Mickey’s Christmas Carol the first weekend of December and The Polar Express the weekend after, and to read their favorite holiday books in the evenings. One event might be the day the tree goes up, and another might be the last school day before the holiday.

Others, of course, might be bigger events, like a Christmas parade, caroling, or ice skating. One night could be devoted to writing Christmas cards to loved ones, and another could be for wrapping gifts for family or shopping together for charity to provide gifts to kids who otherwise wouldn’t have any.

The point is to always have shorter countdowns within the major countdown so that there’s always something good within reach. Oh, and of course, to have fun and make memories with your babies!