Drew Barrymore explains why she doesn't buy her kids presents for Christmas and she has a point

When every parent is choosing the best gifts for their children for Christmas, Drew Barrymore is busy gifting intangible gifts to her children. The actor does not like to get presents but prefers to give her children something more. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actress said that her children, Oliver, 10, and Frankie, 8, will not be unwrapping their gifts under the Christmas tree. But instead, she loves to take them on trips. She said, "I always take them on a trip every Christmas. I don’t get them presents, which I think at their ages they don’t love, but I say, ‘I think we’ll remember the place and the photos and the experience and that’s what I want to give you.’”

According to Barrymore, they get many gifts throughout the year so, during Christmas, she believes in creating memories with them. She said, “They get plenty of things throughout the year, so I’m not like some weird, strict, cold mom who’s like, ‘You don’t get any gifts!’ I just feel like a better gift would be a life memory." She added: "I’d rather invest (in that than in) a dollhouse or something. It all evens out and it’s fine.” However, there was one year she was not able to take them on a trip so she had to buy them gifts and it was only because of the pandemic.

The host of the "Drew Barrymore Show" said that she is fine with skipping this tradition as her kids don't complain about "not liking what they get" on a trip. “I’m glad I do what I do,” she said. Moreover, Barrymore does make sure that she does not get stressed around Christmas time. She said, "(I try) to remember that one holiday won’t be probably the same as one 10 years from now, that your life can dramatically change, and new people and new traditions can come into it," as reported by TODAY.

She believes in not getting stuck to the same tradition every year. “I like looking at the holidays through a comedic, realistic lens of, we’re gonna have a lot of different holiday stories," she said. "What one do you want to keep going and build as a tradition? Rather than, ‘This is my tradition and I’m stuck in it.’”

Moreover, Barrymore revealed that she started dating during the holidays. She said that she "feels good" about it. She said, "I kind of shuttered down for a while. I take breaks, and then I'm like, 'You know what? I'm ready to try this again,'" she said. "... I'm just sort of open to the idea again because I hibernate like a bear in my dating life. I will turn off the app. I will not have it in my world... You have on-and-off seasons. I feel like I'm having an on-season." One of the qualities she really appreciates in a person is good behavior. Barrymore said, "As I'm getting older, behavior is sort of everything to me. It's like my north star," she said. "Even with dating, I'm like, 'How do they behave?' When somebody's like, 'He's so hot.' I'm like, 'Yeah, but does he behave well? 'Cause that will make him 10 times hotter or not.'"

She opened up that she feels "hopeful and optimistic" about a person with whom she has gone on multiple dates. "There's been a second and a third [date] with someone, which is a big deal," Barrymore said. "I feel like usually it's one and done because I see their behavior and I'm like, 'This is non-negotiable. This is not a match.'"