What did you
Give for Christmas?

Gifts that last for generations!

Written by Rachel Webb
© 2001, All Rights Reserved For The Creators

  If adults struggle with remembering the important "Giving" part of Christmas, how can we teach our children that it really is more important to give than to receive?

I love Christmas morning, after all the gifts are opened
and the friends, neighbors and extended family visit
with one another sharing in the holiday spirit. I especially
enjoy asking children and adults,

"What did you give for Christmas?"

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Of course the normal question is "What did you GET for Christmas". I think a lot can be learned from the responses I receive each year even if you do not celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense as I do.

When children are asked what they gave for Christmas, they never really hear the question; they are bursting with the need to tell anyone and everyone who will listen all the details of the great loot they got from Santa!

When I pose this question to adults the answer is a little more surprising.

Most people just assume they heard the question wrong and answer just like a child - by listing all of the neat stuff they accumulated this year.

Really alert, good listeners, will hear the "Give" instead of "Get" and typically become baffled by the question as they struggle to remember what they bought or made for the special people in there lives.

If adults struggle with remembering the important "Giving" part of Christmas, how can we teach or children that it really is more important to give than to receive?

Children will enjoy gift giving more
if they learn to give of themselves in three ways.

  • Time - doing chores to earn the money or offering service coupons as the gift itself.
  • Talents - home-made craft item, original picture, writing a poem or making a card.
  • Money - to purchase the gift


Planning ahead for gift buying can make the gift more special. (As those of us with Night-Before-Christmas shopping husbands would agree!)

Help kids make a list of items that they think that person would enjoy. Young kids can even draw a picture of gift ideas and then explain it to you.

This can be a good exercise that can open up a parent/child discussion to help young children recognize others likes and dislikes instead of listing everything they wish they had.

IT IS THE PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY
TO TEACH CHILDREN SELFLESSNESS

Even young children need to be taught how to earn money & how to spend it. Give children opportunities to earn their own gift money.

Many moms, including me, have been guilty of just giving my children money to buy gifts for their brothers and sisters or even worse picking out presents for them and even wrapping it for them and signing their name too!

I don't suggest making them earn every last penny needed to purchase their gifts but I do think it is the parent's responsibility to teach kids to give of themselves.

Set an example for your children by putting more importance on your own gift giving and this Christmas morning when you see your friends and neighbors, help them remember the most important part of Christmas by asking, "What did you GIVE for Christmas?"

Think creatively
and enjoy Giving all your Gifts this year.

the end

Rachel Webb lives in Utah.

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