Use Christmas Calendars to Create the Christmas Spirit

All too often children get a terrible case of the "give me's" as the Christmas season approaches. If your child has already compiled a wish list that is thicker than a New York City phone book, you may be justifiably hesitant about doing anything that reinforces his or her greed. However, don't let your desire to make the holiday less commercial keep you from using a Christmas calendar to count down the days. Instead of choosing a calendar filled with chocolates or other goodies, put a slip of paper with a task that your child can do for someone else in the compartment each day. If possible, make the task something that can be done as a family, since seeing you give your time or possessions to help someone else will probably make a bigger impression on your child than having him or her complete the task alone. A few things that you may want to consider include:

• Adopting a needy family and having your child choose and wrap a gift for a less fortunate child.
• Putting together a box of necessities to deliver to the food pantry.
• Inviting a lonely neighbor to dinner.
• Caroling at the local senior center.
• Making Christmas cards to hand out at the local hospital.

Of course, you don't want your child to resent the experience of giving to others, so you may want to put a treat in some of the compartments too.