Help your child appreciate Christmas presents
Do you ever wonder how to help your child appreciate Christmas presents more?
I mean, this time of year is crazy-and most of us spend a LOT of time planning, buying and wrapping Christmas presents for the kids.
By the way-if you’re standing in the middle of a shopping centre and watching all the people running around you- 'silly season' definitely fits.
Crazy, busy, fun, magical, stressful, Santa-filled and indecisive…
Christmas shopping for your child can be any and all of these too, right?
And then the anticipation of watching your child open ‘that’ present you looked so hard for, that you know they will love..
…and they just do NOT show the appreciation you thought theywould.
#facepalm #eyeroll #allthatjazz
It’s even worse when they don’t show appreciation toextended family members or friends upon receiving a present-which after all issupposed to be a ‘gift’, not a ‘payment’ for something well done!
So how can you help your child appreciate Christmas presents gracefully?
Here’s my tips:
1: Givethem a heads-up before time.
This could be in the car just before reaching Nannas onChristmas Day, or before receiving a Christmas card from a friend atkindergarten or school.
Is this nagging? No.
It’s only good parenting to help your child learn good communication and social skills by gently whispering ‘Don’t forget to say Thank you’ immediately prior to them receiving a gift.
Just don’t do it every time!
2: Don’tforget your partner!
Does Daddy work full time through the year to pay for everything-including Christmas presents?
Does Mama work extra so she can get her child that special thing they wanted, even though it was ‘extra’?
At Christmas (or anytime) it doesn't hurt to help your child by reminding them ‘Don’t forget to say Thanks to Daddy, too!’
Referencing your partner and intentionally helping your children thank them, is an essential skill to hone as a Mama-and speaks volumes to your children, too.
And my final tip to help your child appreciate thoseChristmas presents?
3: Helpthem build appreciation by showing it yourself.
A running theme through my blog is the following truth:
Parents are consistently MODELLING the behaviour that their child should be displaying.
Are you (or your child) perfect?
No- and this is NOT what this post is saying at all! No oneis perfect-and parenting is the hardest job in the world.
But the behaviour YOU show is the behaviour you are promoting.
You are a walking, talking billboard for how to be a human-and your child is the main spectator.
So-BE appreciative.
Make sure your child sees you doing so. Say thank you, smile, and act like you really wanted that present, without being patronising!
In the car on the way home, try to make sure your child does not hear you talking ungratefully about the dodgy present you got (even if that’s the truth.) What they hear they might repeat (we’ve all been there), and they are hearing your ungrateful tone too.
Teaching your child to appreciate those Christmas presents is just another moment to practise teaching them appreciation for what people do for them on a daily basis.
Are you creating an Entitled Toddler blog post here!
Gratitude and appreciation are a universal language, countercultural and easily shown. It’s really not hard to do yourself, but teaching itto our kids can be hard!
Give your child the ability to see what others do for them,appreciate it and most of all, EXPRESS this, and you will have succeeded at aVERY important part of parenting your small child.
This Christmas, help your child appreciate Christmas presents.
After all, the biggest bonus is feeling more appreciated yourself!
Have a wonderful Merry Christmas!
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