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Teach Children About The Gift Of Giving

by Evelyn Petersen

As Christmas draws near, its accompanying marketing frenzy and the continual "I want" heard from children in stores motivates this letter to readers. Parents, please, if you want to do something really special for your children this year, help them learn about giving instead of getting. Most of today`s kids do not have "generosity of spirit". They don`t understand what giving is about. THIS IS A FAMILY VALUE WHICH WE MUST TAKE TIME TO TEACH.
Children who are only on the receiving end of Christmas gifts have no concept of the true meaning of Christmas. In addition, they are completely deprived of the joy that comes from giving something meaningful to another person. We need to stop emphasizing what to give the children, and spend some time teaching them how to give to others.

If you help your children make simple gifts for others, you will give them long lasting feelings of satisfaction and self esteem that will prove far more gratifying than any battery operated toy. The time you spend (a few hours on several weekends) will be well worth it in terms of things money can`t buy...family values, communication and traditions.

NOW is the time to start planning gifts your children will make. Have a "Christmas Club" meeting with your kids this weekend to list people for whom they want to make gifts and plan what to make. Block off a few hours the next few weekends to make the gifts, saving the weekend before Christmas for gifts they will bake and for gift wrapping.

Keep home made gifts simple. Children have limited craft skills, and parents have limited time to gather and set up materials and provide guidance. Don`t wait; start now. The closer it gets to Christmas, the harder it is to have time for this project, which is a family FUN thing, not a chore.

Easy gifts that 2 to 5 year olds can make: decorated pencil cans, painted stone paperweights, pine cone bird feeders, tree ornaments, place mats, match box holders, decorated pillow cases, "books", stationary, candy, cookies, and play dough. 5 to 7 year olds can make all of the above as well as decoupage items, personalized plaques and tee shirts, original stories or poems, candles, terrariums, and more complex Christmas ornaments, crafts and baked goods.

For a pamphlet that explains how to make these and other home made gifts, write a check or money order for $2 to "Tips on Gifts" and mail with a self addressed, stamped business envelope to Tips, Dept. 5, 115 Youngs Circle Drive, Fayetteville, GA 30215.

Ms. Petersen's nationally syndicated parenting column is carried in over 200 newspapers twice each week. As a family/parenting consultant, early childhood educator, Head Start consultant, and host of a series of parent training audio and video tapes, Ms. Petersen employs an approach of providing hands-on, nuts and bolts advice to parents across the country. Her new book "A Practical Guide to Early Childhood Planning: The What Why and How of Lesson Plans" has just been released.

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