'Tis the season

...for the 'I wants'. 

With Grey Thursday, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, an early Hanukkah, and Christmas rapidly approaching, we are being inundated with advertisements and deals. As an adult, it can be hard to resist. For a child, it can translate into begging, whining and sadness when they don't receive everything they imagined. 

How can you help make this a season of joy?

• Have your children clean up their room and playroom...encourage them to choose the items they no longer play with, to give to others. Gift items to friends, or choose an organization to donate to. Your gifts will be well used and appreciated. 
• Let your child go crazy imagining all of the things they might want...kids may initially circle most of the catalog...and then ask them to think about what they want most out of those things. 
• Bring your child shopping for a sibling, a friend, or a family member. Let them see that nothing is free. 
• If the child has their own spending money, have them purchase a small gift for someone. There really is joy and excitement in being the giver, even for a small child. 
• Choose gifts that are meaningful. This will be different for everyone: a new toy, a dinner out, a membership to a favorite destination.
• Don't spend more than you have. Children may ask for the light of a blue moon, captured in a bottle...but most will be excited over a special new flashlight.