Holidays for Kids

You can help your kids have the best holiday ever by focusing more on gratitude and kindness--which even Santa will appreciate.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Gratitude Diaries, a production of My Heart Radio.
Hi I'm Jadis Kaplan. Thanks for joining me for more
practical ideas on how to be happier. Today's tip help
your kids have the best holiday season ever by focusing

(00:23):
more on gratitude. A lot of people are reasonably worried
about how their children will deal with this holiday season
of social distancing and different traditions. The good news is
that children are more flexible than we realize, and the
traditions you hold dear may not mean all that much

(00:43):
to them anyway. Dinner with extended family or third cousins
they barely know can be more of a chure than
a treat, and a small celebration where they get to
feel safe and loved maybe more than enough to make
happy holiday. This is also a good year to take

(01:04):
some of the focus away from how many presents are
under the tree. Kids only know what they see and experience,
so you have the chance this year to have them
have a slightly different experience. I've seen videos recently of
Santa Clauses at malls wearing the red suit and white beards,

(01:25):
but also masks and face shields and sitting behind plexiglass
while kids sit on a bench on the other side
and tell them what they want for Christmas. If that
sounds good to you, go ahead, But I personally don't
think it's going to be a warm and fuzzy memory
for your kids. So maybe this year turn it around.

(01:48):
Instead of the kids telling Santa what they want to get,
they can tell you what they'd like to give. Children
can't be grateful for what they have unless understand that
not everyone has the same Maybe they'd like to give
last year's winter jacket to a church thrift shop so

(02:08):
another child can be warmed this winter, or perhaps they
want to make a card for a child in a
hospital to add here to their day. People complain every
year about how commercial the holidays have become, and billions
of dollars in retail advertising budgets do go into making
sure that they'll stay that way. But parents can still

(02:30):
have the final word, and it really is up to
you to change the focus of the holiday. If you
spend all your time talking about Santa, don't be surprised
that your little ones are focused on getting presents. Maybe
spend a little more time talking about how they can
be good people, how they can give, and how they

(02:52):
want others to think of them when they're making their
Christmas lists or writing a letter to Santa. One side
of it can be what they want to get and
the other side what they want to give. It's not
a bad idea to slow down the whole gift giving
thing anyway. One mom emailed me to say that when

(03:14):
she was growing up, her religious parents made sure each
child got just three gifts on Christmas as a reminder
of the three gifts the wise men brought. If you're
celebrating the eight nights of Hanaga, one small gift to
night keeps the spirit of the holiday burning. One night's
gift comes from mom and dad, one or two nights
from grandparents, a couple of aunts and uncles, and you

(03:36):
get the week done, and you get the idea. The
slower pace means that each gift can be appreciated and
a thank you note or video sent right off. I
came across one parenting blog where a mom described trying
to teach her preschoolers the meaning of Christmas by having
them join her to buy presents for children who were

(03:57):
less fortunate. It was such a lovely idea, but she
was surprised When her own little ones, who still believed
in Santa, asked why Santa couldn't just bring them presents himself,
she was completely stymied. Another mom replied to her that
she'd had the same issue. She explained to her children
that Santa needs helpers not only to make toys, but

(04:21):
to spread the joy of Christmas. So Santa finds children
with kind hearts and picks them as helpers to share
love and gratitude. Has you got to say? Smart answer
and wonderful attitude. With the right approach, even Santa Claus
can be less about getting stuff and more about giving gratitude.

(04:43):
Let's face it, children aren't going to remember most of
the gifts they receive this year or any other year,
but they may remember baking cookies or making lacas together.
If you get stressed at the holidays, the kids are
going to feel that. If your folk is on gratitude,
they'll get that message too. So today, start changing your

(05:06):
holiday focus away from stuff and toward gratitude and kindness.
If your heart is in it, your children's hearts will
naturally follow. Thanks for joining me. I'd love to hear
how you're adding gratitude to your days This season. You
can reach me at the podcast link at www dot
Gratitude Diaries dot com or the contact link at Jamie

(05:29):
Kaplan dot com. Thanks and have a great day. The
Gratitude Diaries is a production of I Heart Radio. For
more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the i heart
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows.