With the commercialization of Christmas and the entire holiday season, it is easy for our kids to misunderstand the real meaning of the holidays. Despite the fact that it is easy to spoil kids by purchasing every gift on their wish list, as parents we can do some things to help them learn valuable lessons during this magical time of the year.
Patience Is a Virtue
Because food, toys and technology are so readily and easily available, today’s children are used to immediate gratification of their wants and needs. This phenomenon is especially obvious during the holidays. It is no wonder that presents are on the minds of children, as retailers start hyping up the shopping as early as the beginning of November. Writing out their wish lists makes children even more impatient to open their Christmas gifts, as does seeing all the TV commercials, mail catalogs and ads on their electronic devices. Help your kids have fun with the countdown to Christmas. Try creative ways like a Christmas or Advent calendar, a countdown jar into which they put money or candy or a message jar in which they write positive notes to you or their siblings.
Appreciation Is the Highest Form of Prayer
It is easy for children to feel entitled, especially if they see their friends or classmates getting fancy gifts from Santa, grandma or their parents. Children do show appreciation for the material gifts that they receive, especially if that gift is from their wish list. If a child does not like a present, such as the itchy sweater from Great Aunt Rosie, use the situation as an opportunity to teach them about appreciation. Explain that their loved one put in considerable effort to get that gift, wrap it and bring it to them. Spend time with your kids and include them in your preparations for the holidays. This will help them appreciate the hard work that goes into cooking and decorating for the season. Also spend some time doing activities that your kids enjoy. Play some board games, watch funny Christmas movies, read books or talk about what Christmas was like when you were a kid.
Creating Is the Essence of Life
Children love to contribute to the fun of the holidays. Let your kids participate in some of the notable activities of the season, such as decorating the Christmas tree, baking and decorating cookies, preparing the special foods and doing chores to prepare for guests that will be visiting. Help the kids engage with DIY projects. They can make gifts, cut out paper snowflakes and make name cards for the table. Let kids make mistakes and learn from them, and give them a hand when they need it. Making something their own way helps kids to feel proud and joyful about their accomplishments.
Knowledge Is Power
These festive holiday activities can be a great family learning experience. Planning the geometry of a paper snowflake helps boost their math skills. Cooking helps with reading, counting and motor skills. Reading about the holidays exposes kids to culture, history and critical thinking. Decorating and craft projects help with creativity, counting and fine motor skills. Chances are that your kids will be on their electronic devices during the holidays. You can download great Christmas themed apps that help to foster their learning. These fun apps help children develop academic skills while on break from school. Take advantage of these apps and websites, as they are an important part of the growing trend of educational technology.
Sharing is Caring
Christmas is the perfect opportunity to engage your children with a lesson about the importance of sharing. If your house is full of guests, ask your little ones to share their toys or pass around a bowl of candy. Explain, in a young child’s terms, why sharing is so important. Have your kids go through their belongings and choose a toy or clothing item to donate to someone else.
Christmas promotes the values of sharing, togetherness, knowledge, creativity, patience and appreciation. Helping your kids understand these concepts gives them skills that will last a lifetime. Getting into the Christmas spirit is more gratifying when we pay extra attention to these values.
Patricia Dimick is a freelance writer from Denver. She’s also a fun stay-at-home mom, a bit of a tech freak, great nature lover and a huge fan of DIY projects. For more info about Patricia, check her out on Google+, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.