The Complete Christmas
Collection
Christmas Recipes, Crafts
and Kids Activities and xmas stories. You
know the scenario. You're sitting at the family Christmas gathering and your ten-year-old
opens one of Aunt Martha's itchy homemade sweaters. Or Uncle Bobby, who's been
swearing to lose twenty pounds for years, opens an exercise cycle. Of course,
if Uncle Bobby follows the politeness rule, he'll say, "Thank you, it's just what
I wanted." (Then he'll conveniently "forget" about it in the basement or storage
closet.) your ten-year-old may not be as skilled at pretending as Uncle Bobby,
but kids know enough to know that any answer other than "Thank you, Aunt Martha,
I love it" will raise the roof.
There's nothing wrong with pretending you
like a gift that someone has consciously bought because they think it suits you,
you'll like it, or it will be good for you. The saying "It's the thought that
counts" is a truism. Unless you habitually don't put much thought into your gifts.
Have you stopped to look at other people's faces when they open your gifts?
The
excuse "I'm too busy" only goes so far, and your children know it. If you can
take time out of your week to exercise (or not, in Uncle Bobby's case, and who
knows, Uncle Bobby might have a physical reason for not losing those twenty pounds),
rent a video, go jogging, go to the movies, you can put some thought into the
gifts beyond recycling last year's "I love it" items or heading to the mall.
It's
important to let kids know that regardless of the gift, sometimes politeness above
and beyond the call of duty is required. However, you personally can create more
honesty from your kids and with your kids when it comes to gifts.
Remember
when your ten-year-old made you a clay ashtray? You don't smoke, but you cherish
that homemade gift. Or how about when your parents hung your macaroni ornaments
on the tree and your pictures of Santa on the fireplace? You genuinely said "I
love it" and meant it. Your children could tell. Your parents were sincere with
you.
You are what you give, how you give it, and how you receive gifts.
It's easy to moan that the true meaning of Christmas has been lost for our children.
It's harder to turn away from the traditional gift-giving grudge.
Some
tips:
* Start making homemade gifts of your own. Gifts of food, especially
Christmas cookies, are always in season, and people genuinely love cookies.
*
Start a Christmas cookie party or recipe swap with your family and friends. Get
everyone involved. (Be sure to make some healthy alternatives for Uncle Bobby.)
*
Make a donation in someone's name, say to a breast cancer organization, a hospital,
a homeless shelter, a nursing home.
* Be honest about what you can spend.
Be creative. Perhaps if you can't buy everyone a nice gift, you can take friends
out for a pre-Christmas dinner instead of everyone frantically buying gifts.
*
How many times have you said, "Oh, I don't want anything, I'll love whatever you
give me?" Kids are great at making requests. Take a lesson from them. It's dishonest
to expect others to read your mind and then be disappointed about the gifts you
receive.
* Encourage others to be honest about what they want. Even if
you can't afford it you can ask for some wish list items, or say that you make
most of your Christmas presents.
* Always let your children know you love
them regardless of any gifts that are exchanged.
Above all, remember that
the first gift of Christmas is love, and that's something no one can fake.
Copyright
(c) 2004 Kristin Johnson.
Permission is granted to reprint the following
article on your web site or ezine, or print magazine/newsletter as long as no
changes are made and the byline, copyright information, and the resource box is
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If published in your ezine, it must be opt in only. No spam ezines
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A copy of the ezine magazine and/or
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on a web site, there must be a link back to http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com
Kristin Johnson is
the co-author of Christmas Cookies Are For Giving: Stories, Recipes and Tips for
Making Heartwarming Gifts, available from Tyr Publishing. Makes a perfect Christmas
gift, and the most perfect christmas gifts of all--cookies! Christmas Cookies
Are for Giving (ISBN: 0-9723473-9-9) is hardcover, 208 pages, and features full-color
photography of each recipe. A downloadablemedia kit is available at our Web site,
www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com,
or you can e-mail the publisher (info@tyrpublishing.com) to receive a printed
media kit and sample copy of the book. |
