Help children understand the true spirit of gift giving

By Metro Creative Services

Bows and tinsel are just the beginning. In between all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to forget that this time of year is about more than “getting stuff.”

It’s important to teach children that a true holiday gift comes from the heart of the giver and is intended to symbolize the love and caring between people. With all the commercialism around the holidays, it helps to remind kids that presents are just things, and real holiday gifts are those which come from the heart.

Remembering that gifts arise from the true spirit of giving, and don’t have to cost a lot of money can change the focus of the season for both children and adults. Sometimes kids just need a little help coming up with ideas; here are a couple you can share with your children in the weeks before the holidays:

• Talk to children about why people exchange gifts. This can help them understand the symbolic importance of giving and receiving gifts. Encourage them to think about the holiday tradition and why they want to give something to people they care about.

• Talk to children about what they want to give — not just about what they want to get. Grandparents are sure to be charmed by a gift of artwork from small children, as would patients in a local hospital, who could perhaps use some holiday cheer. Encourage the young ones to paint a picture or make a card.

• Suggest children consider giving a gift that lasts all year. If there are military families in your area, school-age children could “adopt” a member of the armed services as a pen pal to correspond with throughout the year.

• Another simple gift idea is helping out around the house or garage. Cindy Garcia found an inexpensive new, high-tech product called The Glosser that she bought for her boys Adam, 9, and Andrew, 5, to give to their father, Carlos. Five to a pack, The Glosser is a disposable cloth that washes and waxes a car without scratching the paint. It’s so easy to use that younger children can even use it. So not only are Adam and Andy going to give their dad the product as a present, they’re also going to wash and wax his car for him as part of their gift.

If there’s anybody around your house who is as particular about the appearance of their car as Carlos, The Glosser is a gift he or she will enjoy, too. It washes, polishes and buffs the car dry — all with one disposable cloth. The patented construction provides “give” so that particles on the vehicle’s finish are encapsulated in the unique non-woven microfiber and moved away from the surface, keeping the car’s paint finish safe from scratches.

It also removes dust and dirt from the instrument panel, console, interior vinyl or leather, doorjambs, engine compartment and chrome or rubber fixtures, and it’s compact enough to fit in the glovebox or under a seat. Available at Wal-Mart, Kmart, Pep Boys, Auto Zone and Advance Auto as well as many automotive and hardware stores, The Glosser usually sells for less than $6 per 5-pack. For more information, call (800) 654-3933.

The holiday season offers a chance to help children learn to become more generous toward others and more appreciative of the generosity they receive all year long.