Some individuals who may have felt deprived of material goods when they were younger, may buy too much for their own children. Others, who may feel depressed during the holidays, may go in the opposite direction and have little motivation to buy any presents. Sometimes parents use gifts to make up for feeling they are absent from their children's lives. Gifts, however, are not a substitute for affection and attention. Divorced couples and step-parents need to be especially careful not to use elaborate gifts as a way of competing for their children's love.
Parents can use the holiday season to cultivate the joy of giving.
Projects such as donating to a charity can be a yearly family tradition. Giving older children their own individual money to donate to a particular cause of their own choosing also teaches them to take on the responsibility for themselves. Starting a family coin collection for the local toy fund, collecting art supplies and warm clothes for needy families, delivering a holiday meal to a sick person are some other examples of activities for the family to work on together. It will not be long before kids learn wealth comes from what is shared rather than from what is owned. Art Expressing Pain, Discovery and Hope and a frequent contributer to national television and print media.