The Christmas Dilemma

TweedyGirl's post titled "What It's Really About" got me thinking about how we can make Christmas more about Christ with our kids. I have gone back and re-read her post many times and have read the comments to gleen ideas from others. I spoke with a friend of mine about this and she had some great ideas. In her family (husband and 2 kids) they give 12 gifts total, so each person gets 4 gifts. One of those gifts is then given away. She said that in the past they bought gifts for a child on the angel tree, but that didn't really have much of an impact since it wasn't a sacrifice for her kids. This way the kids get a gift and then sacrificially give it away. I really like that idea and may do that in the coming years.

In the Focus on the Family magazine there was an article about this very thing and they also had some good ideas. Their focus was on teaching children to be more grateful and generous. They suggested taking old or "forgotten" toys to a charity or homeless shelter the week before Christmas, sponsor a child in another country, and to have your child write, or draw for the younger kids, thank you notes for each gift received.

I know it is a process and each year more and more will sink in with my kids. My goal is to start now in teaching them these things so they will be grateful and generous kids and know that Christmas is a celebration of Christ and not of new stuff.