Why Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos Are Considering Skipping Christmas Gifts for Their Kids

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos may be taking a different approach to Christmas this year. During a recent episode of Live with Kelly and Mark, the longtime couple joked that their family might have “aged out” of exchanging traditional holiday gifts.

“Our kids are old now,” Mark quipped. “Yeah, I’m not getting them anything.”

Kelly and Mark share three children—Michael, Joaquin, and Lola—all of whom are now in their twenties. While Kelly seemed surprised at first by Mark’s suggestion, she slowly warmed up to the idea of keeping the holiday simple and focusing on family time instead.

“We’ll just get the gift of each other this year,” Kelly said, with Mark adding, “Everybody else will just get the gift of us, too.”

But despite his humorous stance, Mark clarified that he isn’t planning to show up completely empty-handed. “They get money,” he admitted. “Give them a check or something and say, ‘Merry Christmas.’”

The audience appeared to support the idea, applauding Mark’s suggestion—though he quickly realized how it might sound. “That sounds bad. That sounds really bad,” he laughed.

The couple is known for openly sharing personal details about their family life, including their transition to becoming empty nesters. They’ve often discussed how the house feels now that all three kids are grown and living independently. And fans may remember their playful on-air warning to their daughter Lola when she briefly moved back home in 2023 for her final semester of college.

“Lola, I’m very excited you’re home—we missed you,” Kelly said at the time. “But you’ve got to knock. At this point, anything you walk in on is your problem.”

As the holidays approach, Kelly and Mark seem ready to embrace a more relaxed, meaningful celebration—one centered less on presents and more on presence.