Raising Selfless Kids or Acting the Scrooge? These Celebrities Refuse to Give Gifts to Their Kids

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis

Bad Mom Christmas? 

Ashton and Mila have a great reason for not spoiling their kids during the holidays or their birthdays — they already receive plenty of gifts from their grandparents. So while the grandparents give the gifts, the parents make charitable donations. 

Chip and Joanna Gaines

With five kids, space under the Christmas tree is likely limited for the HGTV stars. Instead, Chip and Jojo’s children pick gifts for other families to give around the holidays. 

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian

The former couple wanted to keep their children as humble as possible.

“We don’t do gifts,” Kim told Allure in 2017. “[Kanye and I] talk about it all the time, about not getting too much and trying to be as grounded and well rounded as possible.”

Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw

Instead of gifts, Dr. Phil and Robin give their children quality time together. 

“You need not buy them material goods in order to create a bond,” he said on his show in 2015. “Instead of tangible gifts, how about spending some time together? Be careful that you aren’t teaching them that emotions can be healed by a trip to the mall.”

Kristin Cavallari

Kristin informed Us Weekly in 2018 that she raises her children the same way she was raised growing up — which meant you either received a present or coal.

“Growing up, the elves would come every day before Christmas, and if you were good, they’d leave a little something in your stocking, and if you were bad, you got coal,” she said at the time. “It’s a good way to keep your kids in line and have them be on their best behavior.”

Kailyn Lowry

The Teen Mom alum explained why she doesn’t buy her kids Christmas gifts during an Instagram Q&A.

“I got tired of fighting [with] the dads [about] Christmas and gave it up. Every time I got the kids for Christmas, my other family members were on opposite years with their families/kids,” Kailyn explained, adding that her family now does “big vacations” instead of gathering on December 25.

The MTV star added, “Christmas can be with their dads, and they don’t have to worry about splitting it.”

That being said, Kail assured her kids “don’t want or need for anything,” but Santa does visit their dads’ houses. In 2023, however, after welcoming twins with boyfriend Elijah Scott, Kail revealed that she got a Christmas tree for the first time in five years.