I absolutely love the holiday season: the lights, the parties, the food – I love it all! I always have. One thing I’m noticing as my kids get older, is how much they want to be involved in holiday preparations. We host a little informal party every year at our house and my kids love helping to cook, set up and serve guests. They even put together little loot bags for the kids who are coming. It’s important for kids to help out when they can and they really love it. I’m at the point where I expect they’ll help. This is no free ride (even though it kind of is).
The whole gift giving issue has been bothering me more and more every year. As they’ve gotten older I’ve tried to discourage the mountain of gifts my kids receive and teach them about the joys of giving. At the risk of sounding like a Scrooge, my kids don’t need any new things. Believe me, they are not suffering. It seems the more they get, the more they want. So, I am putting a stop to the madness this year. We’re going through our toy bins and choosing neglected toys to donate to women’s shelters. We’re also buying new toys to give to kids who might not be getting a lot of new gifts this year.
I spend a lot of my very limited time working with several non-profits because it’s so important to me to give back. I want my children to understand the meaning of the holidays and what it feels like to make someone else feel special. I truly believe that doing things for other people is more rewarding and feels better than receiving presents. This year we’re going try to make somebody else’s holiday more joyful. I’m sure I’ll still buy some gifts for my kids though so don’t worry – they’ll be well taken care of.
