Five Special Gifts

We have been talking about the holidays and what is important to us. Gift-giving plays a small role in it. We needed to decide just how the gifts would be part of our tradition.

Last year we spent hardly anything on Jia's gifts for Christmas. Most of her presents were given to us as hand-me-downs from friends. Joe literally found her largest present on the sidewalk. He happened upon a play kitchen that a daycare was tossing out. We took it apart, cleaned each piece and refinished it (to match our decor no less).

After much debate, I think we've figured it out. When we're faced with older kids wanting one large item, who knows how we'll view this, but for now, we have a plan. A teacher gave me an article entitled "Five Special Gifts to Give Your Children." It focuses on giving items that nurture hearts and brains and bodies, and not going overboard. It is as follows:

A Gift to Hug and Love: A doll or stuffed animal; something a child can care for and treasure. Jia talks about polar bears non-stop. She is getting a stuffed one and sponsoring a real one through the National Wildlife Federation. It's worth checking out.

A Gift to Read: A book; a way to connect with your kid by reading together, encourage curiosity and bring discoveries. Jia is getting a book about helping others.

A Gift of Toys and Games: A fun toy or game that is designed to further learning and development. Jia is getting a matching and sorting game.

A Gift of Activity: Maybe a ball or jump rope or basketball hoop or trike. Something that encourages a kid to move with purpose. We're thinking of giving her a trike in the spring.

A Gift of Artistic Expression. Perhaps crayons, paints, clay, rubber stamps, glue, feathers, beads and cords. Something that provides kids with exposure to new sensations, and pushes them to use their imaginations. Jia tries to turn everything into finger paints, so we're finally giving her some.

We're also thinking about having her choose some of her toys that she doesn't use any longer to donate to other kids. I've heard from other parents that this is generally really tough for kids her age to do. She has chosen many books for her baby sister to have - so hopefully she'll understand this concept too! We'll see!