The modest but meaningful Christmas gifts

TIGHT budgets mean parents can’t just buy gifts for children like they would like to. As a parent, help kids make gifts from their heart so they can give of themselves this Christmas. What happened to the days when simple, meaningful gifts were the norm? Children have lost the old-fashioned Christmas feeling of giving a gift that means something rather than a gift that costs something. I believe there is still time to mend matters.Christmas gifts that kids can make themselves are a good way of reaffirming the true meaning of Christmas. If they are given a helping hand, they can create their own cost gifts. These homemade gifts will give smiles to any one of the lucky recipients on their lists. Try having an old-fashioned Christmas this year. With a little guidance from the parent, kids can once again learn what giving at Christmas truly means. Help them write a Christmas story ‘About Me.’ A child who is old enough can make a gift that tells a story about themselves. Kids are very creative. They can write a page each about their school, their friends, their favourite games to play and their favourite foods. Make sure they assemble the contents of the book in a logical order, not forgetting the dedication page; they should use this page to say Merry Christmas to the recipient. Why not encourage children to write letters to family members living far away? Gone are the days when people would anticipate receiving letters and cards in the mailbox. With technology of cheap long distance phone rates, letter writing or even mailed Christmas cards are not that common anymore. Having your kids writing hard copy letters will encourage them to express themselves in a better way. If at least they don’t know what to write, suggest that they write about the decorations or the Christmas party.Or else, most important to them, what they hope to find under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning. Perhaps the letter can also arrange a pre-set time when the phone call will be made, following up what was in the letter. Of course, they will have to respond to familiar subjects and images in the letter. This will be a gift long treasured and the one who receives it will fondly remember it.The ice will be broken as the relative will know what question to ask and when. There are few calls more eagerly anticipated than one starting with, “Grandma, did you get my letter?Did you know that children can be Christmas angels and bring joy to everyone? Gifts bought for kids from expensive stores are very nice. But these will be opened, eaten or used and gone. Using thoughtful gift ideas by teaching a child to give a lasting present will help make the Christmas season meaningful and merrier for everyone. Do our parents need to feel the Christmas spirit the way we do? Absolutely yes. Christmas is also an opportunity to share our love and express our regards with our parents that goes a long way in family bonding. Since the time when we are young helpless kids to the time when our parents are too old to see and hear us clearly, they constantly try to give their best to us. Christmas is the time when we have to return their love to them and try to bring a piece of rainbow in their lives too.However, most parents seem to have everything they want. They also have enough money to buy what they want. Where does that leave us in the shopping department? Sometimes it leaves us lost. But if we really think about those gifts before we go shopping, we can come up with really interesting gifts that parents are sure to love. Try to avoid shopping on impulse.Though tough tests get us all in a twist, the joy of the season should not be dismissed. There should be bright lights and fun with family. Not forgetting to prevent holiday brain drain from happening to our kids. See, they are just at that point in the year, when learning begins to kick into high gear. Above all, it is a time to give presents generously, laugh loud and eat merrily. Do you feel the Christmas spirit knocking? I do. The author is a teacher at Kagarama secondary school shebs10@yahoo.com