Tis the Season

Okay, I know, I KNOW! It isn't here yet, but what is here is the time for planning. Planning shopping, food, decorations-No. Time to plan on what you and your family will be giving back to the world this coming holiday season.
After all this is the season of giving not receiving and I want to make sure that this concept is incorporated into our daily activities for the next few weeks. I am hoping that his will allow for a true understanding of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even New Years when they arrive this year.
First Week - talk about the extras that we have in our lives, for example-extra food, extra toys, extra clothes, and explain what 'extra' really means. Incorporate want and need into the first week as well to help the little tikes start to understand and comprehend the difference.
Second Week-talk about things we do to help other people. Start simple, using please and thank you helps people feel appreciated, holding the door makes people think you are kinda, donating clothes to a second hand store. Then ask your little ones what they could do this very moment to help someone. Have then write it down in a little journal, or draw pictures of what it is and you will write in the captions for them. (Great tool for later on too, when we get greedy hands)
Third Week-Decide what you and the tikes want to do this year to help someone. We will be planning on something that we can make to donate as the holidays approach as well as a one day outing type of event. Examples may include, helping to make mittens (whip stitching is easy for little fingers and is great to help develop fine motor skills.) Another example may be to create activity packs for a shelter, make sock monkeys or other sock animals for a shelter or abuse center. As we start to narrow down what we are going to do this year, I will be sure and update everyone and provide step by step guides of what we are doing as well as more ideas.
Fourth Week-Schedule out how much work you have to do daily to make your donation target day. Make sure you do not overwhelm the kiddies, and allow them to do a little at a time. Make sure to praise them for the great work that they are doing and to encourage them to always give when they can. Each day when you work on your project be sure to talk about how others without food, or clothes, or shelter may feel. Then follow up with how safe and protected, loved and cared for they are. You need to walk a fine line with this lesson, do not consume them with the negative of the world, but instead make them feel blessed and fortunate to be able to help others.