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Pastimes : Precious Memories!Kids make me smile! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neenny who wrote (521)	11/13/2000 12:27:12 PM
From: SofaSpud	Respond to of 1309

Hi Jane, We were working on our box this weekend. My wife and I feel that it's appropriate for us to buy the non-toy things we include, but that our children should select one of their own toys. I'm not sure that they learn anything, or have any engagement in the process, if it's just one more thing coming from my wallet. We went to the store on Saturday, and picked out a dinosaur toothbrush, and some Blue's Clues toothpaste, some Arthur bandaids, some watermelon-scented kids shampoo, assorted hard candy, and soap. Took all that home, and then it was time to look at toys. I've not pressured the five-year old too much. But with her seven-year old sister I've tried harder this year to get the idea through of giving to someone who, as you say, might get nothing else at all for Christmas. You might recall that I posted previously about the beanie baby's place in our household. So I was quite choked up when she brought her contribution to the box: a penguin beanie she bought with her own allowance, and that she clearly cared about. I frequently agonize about what kind of impression I'm letting my kids form about the world. We've two incomes, and are comfortably off. To plead poverty when they ask for things would be at best artificial, and at worst, dishonest (unlike the situation when I was growing up). Of course they don't get everything they ask for -- I say no far more than I say yes. But they still have a ridiculous amount of "stuff", and lots of treats. I hope this exercise, of trying to think about those less fortunate, and encouraging them to make a gift that "hurts" a bit, will help them get a bit more balanced perspective.

To: Neenny who wrote (521)	11/18/2000 11:45:17 PM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1309

Hi Jane: The Christmas Box project is a wonderful project, and I applaud your effort. What a wonderful lesson. My four year-old insisted on seeing "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas." I was apprehensive since I thought the character was going to scare him, but I took him, prepared to remove him if he got scared or if the movie was too adult for a child. There were other children at that movie. Instead he shouted halfway through, "Oh, I love this movie." He wants to see it again and he did tell me that the Grinch was not really mean. I think he "got" the moral of the story. The acting was pretty good too.