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December 1, 2007
Giving gifts is a wonderful holiday tradition. But sometimes children forget that happiness is not for sale, especially when they are bombarded with holiday commercial messages.
What better way to teach children the value of giving from the heart, rather the wallet, than to start a tradition with your family pet or local rescue organization, by giving ONLY from the heart. No budget, no shopping, simply the gift of giving time and effort in a creative way. Yes, your family pet can help you teach the value of giving from the heart to your children at any age.
Toddlers can invite your family pet to hear a bedtime story. This can work even with small animals in cages or fish in a fishbowl. Whether or not the pet can appreciate the story, the point is for your child to share.
Very young children can draw or scribble a picture, showing what they love about their pet. Put up the picture at pet level so your child knows that the pet can enjoy his efforts. If your child likes to sing, suggest she sing quietly to the pet and share a talent like the boy in the Christmas carol, “The Little Drummer Boy.”
Most kids ages four and older can safely enjoy giving your family’s dog a “Belly Rub of the Month” membership, complete with a homemade membership certificate. This gift teaches children that gift-giving can be a year-round joy.
Teach your child to make simple toys. Most dogs love to shred a dissection toy (a treat wrapped in layers of paper, see the Animal Wow website for more ideas). For cats, tie a small paper at the end of a string and drag it around the house. For hamsters and rats, cut fruits and vegetables into festive shapes. Supervise your children while they make these gifts, and supervise the pets when they receive them.
If your family has a tradition of giving blessings, have your children bless the animals. Every religion has beautiful blessings that praise the Divine for bringing animals into our lives, and that praise animals for all that they add to our lives. Be creative and make the blessing fit with your family.
Older children who have a sense of how animals fit into the larger world can also give to community organizations. Help your children find a local animal charity, collect donated supplies, write a letter to support animal friendly legislation, or donate a portion of any holiday money they receive to a particular project they believe in.
Whatever your holiday traditions, try skipping the mall for a day to spend a family evening creating happiness that can’t be bought. Homemade happiness comes from the heart and is a rich discovery. Happy holidays.
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