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Christmas time is my favorite time of year. Even as a little girl I would start thinking of gifts I could make my family months in advance and have them wrapped and waiting. I made my share of homemade hot pads, macaroni necklaces and a whole bunch of other “useless” items. Yet my Mom and Dad would open them with delight and thank me for the wonderful gift. I quickly learned the warmth and joy in the power of giving to others. Sure I was just like other kids and wanted gifts as well…. but also looked forward to giving.
So each year we take our little ones shopping. We have a talk about the meaning of Christmas and tell them to think about what would make the people on their list happy. They buy a gift for Mom, Dad and their siblings. We take them to the dollar store to shop, since they don’t quite grasp the concept of the dollar value of an item. Our main goal is to teach them to forget what they want… and think of others.
It is rather funny to watch their little eyes dart around and store and see what they pick out. We try to help them select a gift but let them make the final choice. It is a great learning tool, as they are not always thinking about why someone would want or need a gift instead…. They just like the way it looks. Like my 4 year old daughter was SURE Daddy need this 4 piece funnel set… but then finally picked out the 150 q-tip box… ” My Daddy woves (loves) to queen (clean) his ears… lets get him this”
It is neat to hear the conversations turn from ” I want” to “lets give”. They come home and wrap their gifts. It is so fun to watch their faces and see they find joy in giving to others.
How do you teach your children the Joy in Giving?
This is post here for the do’s and don’t of Dollar Store shopping!
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