Give Your Children Gifts that Matter

What’s on your Christmas shopping list this year? Have your kids been asking for the latest, greatest toy or gadget? Have you searched the stores or online and found it on sale yet? If not, stop and reconsider. And if so, consider taking it back.

The problem
You’ve probably noticed that many youngsters don’t even know what Christmas is about. And I’m not talking just about the birth of Christ. I’m talking about Christmas, a spectacular holiday that should bring joy to all, having turned into a commercial nightmare that breeds greediness and discontent, especially in children.

The solution

Think about what you want your children to learn and talk it over with your spouse and/or your child’s other parent. Then choose to give gifts that matter instead of perpetuating the commercial glut that is so prevalent each year on Christmas morning.

Three suggestions for gifts that matter

Anything that expands your child’s mind or enhances your child’s life experience can be considered a gift that matters.

1. Lessons of some sort, a season or annual pass to a museum or planetarium, or some other hands-on experience. If the gift involves you or a grandparent or two, so much the better!
2. Books and interesting but educational DVDs also fall into the gifts that matter category. Age-appropriate fiction or picture books foster a love of reading, which matters greatly.
3. Art/craft supplies may seem like all fun and games but also expand the mind and foster creativity. And now that I think of it, I suppose some games (the real kind – you know, where you play with other people? NOT video/electronic gadgets) could even be considered as gifts that matter.

So what do YOU think?

What are your ideas about gifts that matter? Is this even important to you?