Do Your Kids Understand the Holiday Spirit?

by guest blogger Dr. Shirin Sherkat

parent educator at Create Happy Kids

You can share the spirit of the holidays with your kids!

This is a magical time of year. It doesn’t have to be all about spending money you don’t have, getting stressed and over-scheduling your family.

Your family traditions can embrace the spirit of the season and focus on:

• Giving to others who are less fortunate

• Spending quality (fun) time with family and friends

• Being grateful for what we have and not just focus on “wants”

5 easy ways to share the spirit and involve your kids:

1. Volunteer at your local food bank, soup kitchen, church, or community center with your kids.

2. Organize a family donation box and together, fill it with blankets, toys, jackets and other items that your family doesn’t need, then donate it together (as a family) to a center near you.

3. In addition to asking your kids to make a list of things they want from Santa, make this a family project one night. Make a list of all the things your family is grateful for this holiday! Have younger kids list all the things they have (that they should appreciate) and you write the list for them.

4. Encourage your family (and friends) to consider homemade gifts too, not just store-bought toys, for your kids.

5. For the “12 Nights of Christmas,” instead of focusing on getting something, teach kids to give, create or share something. For example, a family craft night, or a game night, or an evening volunteering at the local soup kitchen, or a movie night with family at home.

A Great Goal!

The goal is to create grateful and caring kids who grow up to be happy, and have a sense of responsibility and true appreciation for the spirit of this beautiful holiday season!

(c) 2011 by Dr. Shirin Sherkat

Views expressed by guest bloggers may not be the views of Washington Parenting Education Network or all of its members. Guest bloggers are wholly responsible for the content of their posts.