One family felt it was much more meaningful to the children when the
gifts were opened over a period of “the twelve days of Christmas.” Let
the kids pick which gift they want to open on which day. Then they’ll
look forward to each gift.
Guideline Five: Teach your child the joy of giving.
The joy of giving more than matches the joy of receiving. Teach your
children this. Some of them may not come by it naturally. Show your
enthusiasm about giving to others, and it will be contagious: “Wow, I bet
when we take this turkey over to the Salvation Army, they will be so
happy. I bet this will bring big smiles to their faces!” or “I know it is so
hard to pick things out for your brother, but you always seem to light up
his life with what you pick. I can hardly wait to be surprised and see what
you’ve chosen this year.”
The value of giving gifts is only meaningful if the children spend their
own money. This leads most children to be very creative about what they
make or buy as gifts. Often a gift that a child makes tends to be more
exciting and gratifying than something bought.