Gift Giving

It is natural for children to be eager to open their presents on Christmas, but it might not come as naturally for them to want to give gifts to others. Teaching your children how to give meaningful gifts that bring smiles to others will allow them to share this important aspect of the holiday season.

Rather than starting at the store, first, lay a foundation of gift-giving values. These underlying principles can help children understand why they are going to give gifts and will help them to develop a genuine enthusiasm for the activity.

Considering the feelings of others: Start by reminding your children how they feel after they receive a gift they enjoy. You can guide them to think about a specific gift they received from someone and then ask how the gift giver probably felt after giving such a special gift. Talk to your children to consider who they might want to give gifts to and think about how those people might feel when they receive them.

Choosing appropriate gifts: Talk to your children about money and how the best gifts are not always the most expensive. Help your children brainstorm a few things the people in their life might enjoy receiving from them. A question you can ask your kids to answer is, “What could I give this person to show them I care about them?” This question can help your children think of meaningful gifts that will genuinely bring delight to the recipients.