As a parent, you may worry that the holidays will spoil your child. But as long as you remember to highlight the true meaning of the holidays -- giving to others and celebrating cherished rituals together -- you need not worry about your child's materialistic desires.
With these three holiday ideas from the parenting and child development experts at Invest in Kids, you will spend time with your children and they learn more about giving to others while advancing their social, emotional and intellectual development.
1. Donate to charity
If you and your children collect food and other essentials to give to those in need, your children will begin to demonstrate their concern for others. They'll also gain an appreciation of how their actions can contribute to someone else.
Giving food, toys, clothing and other essentials to help those in need encourages children to think about ways they can help others. This is an important social value.
Explain to your children why you're collecting these items and how people will be helped by your efforts. Allow your child to pick items from the grocery shelves and gently encourage your children to part with toys they no longer plays with.
Talk with your children about the shapes and sizes of the items you've collected together. Your child will love sorting the items into groups -- by size, shape or type. While you're both having fun doing this, your smile is also an acknowledgement the improvement in his or her eye-hand coordination, counting and grouping skills. Remember to always provide positive reinforcement when your child shares and shows compassion.
Read books together like Beatrice's Goat by Page McBrier (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2001), The Teddy Bear by David McPhail (Henry Holt and Co., 2002), Bone Button Borscht by Aubrey Davis (Kids Can Press, 1996) and Sam and the Lucky Money by Karen Chinn (Lee & Low Books, 1997). These books invite children to ask questions and talk about the experience of being in need and the importance of caring for others by sharing.
Page 1 of 2 -- Spend an afternoon crafting with the little ones and give your holiday presents a handmade touch! Find two easy, kid-friendly Christmas projects on page 2
