Thanks to TV commercials, video ad breaks, and glossy catalogues entitled “Holiday Toy Guide” and “Wish Book”, our kids are presented with endless ideas about what they might want for Christmas. However, it’s important for them to remember that this is a season of giving, not just receiving.
Fortunately, this is an ideal time of year to teach kids how to be grateful and generous to others.
Here are some age-appropriate actions for kids to spread joy and goodwill this holiday season.
Support local charities
Here are some ideas to make a positive contribution in your region:
- Shop for a toy drive. In the weeks prior to Christmas, charities collect new, unwrapped toys for kids in need, typically at a convenient location like the mall, fire hall or police station. Involve your child in selecting and delivering a toy for someone else to open on Christmas morning.
- Re-home existing items. Collaborate with your child to de-clutter the playroom and pass along gently used toys, games, books and art supplies to a nearby day care, school or community centre.
- Support the local food bank. Drop off non-perishable food items at participating grocery stores or sign up for a volunteer time slot at their headquarters.
- Give blood. For teens aged 17 and older, participating in a blood drive can be a valuable way to give back. Find locations and appointment times across North America from the Red Cross or Canadian Blood Services.
Be thoughtful to seniors
Those of us with kids and busy families have plenty of built-in holiday action, but for older adults, this can be a lonely time of year. If your kids are into arts and crafts, contact a nearby retirement home to ask if you can contribute some cheerful holiday artwork or homemade decorations to brighten up their common areas. You can also check if your public library is hosting a community holiday card initiative, where you can write positive messages that will be delivered to local seniors.
Help a neighbour
Your kids can learn to make a positive impact, starting right next door. Arrange for them to do a good deed for one of your neighbors (especially one who lives alone) by shoveling their driveway, walking their dog, picking up their mail, or dropping off some homemade holiday treats.
Give teachers extra love
Teachers can definitely use a pick-me-up at this exhausting time of year, so have your child fill out a traditional holiday card for each of them. It’s a great opportunity for some old-school writing and spelling practice, and the sentiment means more if it comes from them. You can choose to include a small gift (like hand soap) or a gift card if you wish.
Make an amateur holiday video
Door-to-door caroling might be a thing of the past, but you can still share holiday cheer through music and entertainment. Create an original holiday video showcasing your family’s specific talents, whether it’s singing, dancing, lip-syncing, telling jokes, juggling, or playing a musical instrument. It could also be a baking demonstration, magic trick, comedy skit or puppet show. Tech-savvy kids will enjoy taking the lead on recording and editing. And, unlike a live show, the recipient can watch it as many times as they want, whenever they need a smile.
Send snail mail
In these highly digital times, a classic paper greeting card can be a breath of fresh air. Envelopes delivered by the old-fashioned postal system are especially meaningful to older adults who grew up in an era before e-mail and instant messaging. If your child likes to draw or color, have them add a quick doodle to the card or include a separate page of their artwork. If you’d like to enclose a little treat for the recipient, select something small and flat like stickers (for kids) or a tea bag (for adults).
Inspire a smile
Although we can all use a positive boost at this time of year, think about people in your circle who would really appreciate some extra cheer. Maybe it’s someone who has helped out your family this year, who has moved away, or who is grieving a loss. Here are a few simple ways to reach out, in the spirit of the season:
- Find or take a photo of your child enjoying a gift (for example, a toy, outfit or piece of sports equipment) from a certain person and send them the image with a heartfelt “thank you”.
- Next time you’re driving the kids to their activities, check in with a spontaneous hands-free phone call. You’ll take the lead on the conversation, but your child can say a quick hello or “Merry Christmas”. At the very least, you can leave an upbeat voice mail.
- Start a countdown (or “12 Days of Christmas” scenario) where you send out a daily holiday joke, quotation or image. Put your kids in charge of Googling and suggesting the content for each day.
Get crafty
If you have craft enthusiasts in your household, it’s open season on cutting, gluing and painting homemade decorations. It’s also a great opportunity to pull out forgotten craft kits and supplies for creating handmade gifts like fridge magnets or friendship bracelets. Have your children give out their creations to people they see regularly, such as a crossing guard, neighbor, educational assistant, tutor, coach or music teacher.
With a little creativity and effort, you can transform a “getting” mentality into a “giving” one. Through your example, you’ll be showing your kids that kindness matters, and it doesn’t cost anything to be thoughtful to a friend, neighbor or relative. You can balance out the constant consumer-focused messages by sharing some positive holiday spirit with the people closest to you. Think of it as putting the “happy” in Happy Holidays!
