The Gift Is In The Giving: A Lesson For The Young
The holidays are an exciting time for our young ones who have been thinking hard all month about what will be at the top of their wish list. Nothing beats seeing the look on your child’s face when they open the gift they’ve been hoping for all month. However, amongst the lessons of gratitude for receiving presents, it’s also a great time to teach your young owns about the gift of giving, and how we can impact the lives of others.
Giving for Appreciation
While it is always nice to receive a thoughtful gift from a loved one, doesn’t it feel just as nice and rewarding to give one? Teach your child about how giving even small, homemade gifts can let someone know that you are thinking about them and value their love or friendship. Help them come up with a gift for their family, classmates and teacher, and you may even make a fun craft night out of it!
Giving Back
Though there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer or donate year round, the holidays tend to have more available through work or school. Giving doesn’t always have to mean wrapping up a new toy for your child’s sibling or grandparent – it can also mean giving back to the community and those who are less fortunate than us around this time of year. Pick a cause together and dedicate some time to learning together about how you can help, and why it’s important. This could be collecting canned goods for the local food bank, or fulfilling another child’s holiday wishlist.
Give for Thanks
Another small act of giving is sending thank-you cards to family members after the holidays have ended. Hearing that someone appreciates your efforts is sometimes the best gift to receive!