Christmas Countdown - December 6
Christmas time is a very special time of year. It is also a good time to teach our younguns more about the true meaning of giving, and not only want-take-want-take.
We are lucky enough to have a couple of events (church and preschool) where the children are asked to bring a gift for another child. A brand new gift. So, what we do is make a feel good field trip out of it. We all go shopping, I give them a budget and they each get to pick one gift, something they would like. They know it is not for them, we go home, wrap it (or not) and then deliver it to its destination.
Last Sunday was 'white gift Sunday' at our church. The boys were all keen until we were ready to go and they decided they didn't really want to give away the toys. I reminded them who they were for, made them repeat what I said, and they did just fine. After the service, when a lady came and asked them "Was it hard for you to put those beautiful gifts under the tree?" They both answered, "They are for children to don't have any toys, and we have lots."
Mission accomplished.
Why not find something comparable at your end? Even a special trip to the grocery store to drop off for a food bank? And we also do a good combing through the toys, and prepare a box to 'hand down' (to make room for the onslaught about to arrive) but we find it also teaches them to pass along something they enjoyed and don't use much anymore.
I realize this is late today, but why not try to find the time this week/weekend that will serve this purpose? Enjoy! It really does feel good.
P.S. Happy 40th to my friend Jen!
We are lucky enough to have a couple of events (church and preschool) where the children are asked to bring a gift for another child. A brand new gift. So, what we do is make a feel good field trip out of it. We all go shopping, I give them a budget and they each get to pick one gift, something they would like. They know it is not for them, we go home, wrap it (or not) and then deliver it to its destination.
Last Sunday was 'white gift Sunday' at our church. The boys were all keen until we were ready to go and they decided they didn't really want to give away the toys. I reminded them who they were for, made them repeat what I said, and they did just fine. After the service, when a lady came and asked them "Was it hard for you to put those beautiful gifts under the tree?" They both answered, "They are for children to don't have any toys, and we have lots."
Mission accomplished.
Why not find something comparable at your end? Even a special trip to the grocery store to drop off for a food bank? And we also do a good combing through the toys, and prepare a box to 'hand down' (to make room for the onslaught about to arrive) but we find it also teaches them to pass along something they enjoyed and don't use much anymore.
I realize this is late today, but why not try to find the time this week/weekend that will serve this purpose? Enjoy! It really does feel good.
P.S. Happy 40th to my friend Jen!
posted by nancy at 4:31 PM
4 Comments:
I have to agree with you! I thought I'd be in big trouble trying to explain this concept of buying gifts for needy children to our 2.5 year old, but he amazed me. He wanted to know if it was a boy or girl, and if he could pick out the gift. Now, as the gift waits to be wrapped, he goes in and visits the stuffed tiger he picked out and tells him each day that he's going to make a little girl very happy because she doesn't have a lot of toys like him. That's some amazing stuff and I cannot take credit for it!
I've also been trying to talk about the other parts of Christmas, you know, that don't have anything to do with amassing a lot of toys. Today we went shopping for a few different charity-related drives. I wonder how much my kids understand about this, but at least it's laying the foundation for the future when they will get it.
the true meaning of giving is a very important concept for me and, like you, try to get the kids to partake in that spirit
already throughout the year, whenever they have clothes they've outgrown or toys that they feel they are "too old" for, they ask me to put them aside in a special box we have. SOme of it goes to kids we know, some to total strangers through the Salvation Army
at this time of year, we've already given food for hampers organized by our church and at their schools and we always take at least two "angels" (at school or the mall) to whom we give brand new toys
giving definitely feels good :)
I like your idea. We have already talked to J that he is not getting any new toys because now is the time we do things for others. So far it has worked out well but, I do think it would be nice to teach him to give to someone we don't know as well.
Thanks.
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