Help kids take their focus off of the "getting" by helping them learn about the joy of giving. Even very young children enjoy creating, selecting, wrapping, and giving gifts. By helping kids focus on their own giving, you'll be teaching them to be generous and thoughtful, and they will experience the rewards of seeing someone they love light up when opening their gift. Also, when adults open a special gift from a child with expressions of pleasure, they model showing how important these simple gifts are to them.
Whether working on something handmade or selecting a small gift, encourage your child to think about the recipient of the gift, and what they would like. When making gifts with your child, let go of perfection and have fun with the process of creating something and being together. Consider wrapping a gift in a piece of your child's artwork to give the gift an extra-special touch.
Here are some ideas to help kids catch the spirit of giving while having fun with you at the same time!
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IF I LIKE IT, THEY'LL LIKE IT TOO
Start by considering your child: What does he or she enjoy doing right now? Pick an activity related to your child and help him or her create a gift. For example, a two-year-old who likes to sing could record a song or two for a parent or grandparent who would love such a gift. A four-year-old who is experimenting with language may be quite a jokester at this point in time; she or he could dictate a joke book to you. A three-year-old who loves to climb and jump could give a handmade invitation to a mini-Olympics he or she plans to hold on a future date. Kids who love to perform for others could create a show of skits, songs, and dances, and give the gift of an invitation to this special performance.23.
SIMPLE SHOPPING
Take your child to shop for small gifts for just a few of his or her favorite people at a store or section of a store that specializes in inexpensive items that fall within your budget. One key to success is shopping in a place where any choice your child makes is affordable, and another is giving up your preconceived notion of what gifts are right for the recipients. Offer a few suggestions about what each person likes just to get the process going. Then let your child make the selections, and once sure of his or her choices, go with them. It may be a flashlight for a teacher and a tennis ball for a grandparent, but they will be gifts that are truly from your child's heart.24.
ORIGINAL AND PRICELESS STORIES, POEMS, AND WORKS OF ART
Suggest to your child that writing a story or poem for one of their favorite people would make a great gift. You may need to help think of an idea or get your child started, but then write down your child's words exactly as your child dictates, being careful not to embellish or "fix" them. Consider having siblings work together on a piece--one could tell the story or poem, and one could draw a picture to go with it. Then frame the work, or create a book by arranging the work into a folder or scrapbook.25.
