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NEXT!!! Toddlers and Presents: Avoiding the Nasty Lack of Appreciation
Author: Melanie Denney
I remember my grandmother telling me that during the holidays, she was typically given one gift. She reminisced about a skein of yarn, a new pair of knitting needles, and stockings. The sweet smile on her face exuded gratitude, for she understood that a gift was something that had to be worked for in order to be given. Never once did she think herself too deserving of anything more than what her parents worked to give her.
Nowadays, it seems as if feelings of entitlement are growing and feelings of appreciation are diminishing. Ingratitude is a less than admirable characteristic. Is there not a more irksome scenario than when someone opens a present, and then disparagingly tosses it aside – disappointed that is was a package of socks and not something else?
Toddlers are at a very impressionable age, making it a great opportunity to avoid ingratitude by curbing the expectation of receiving a gift of opulence, to simply just appreciating a gift received.
Giving to others is maybe the most effective way to teach the meaning of a gift. When someone else is in need of something, giving them that gift (especially if it’s something you want too) makes it more meaningful. This season, when your toddler is in the cart with her tiny hands around an adorable Zhu Zhu Pet, explain to her that you’re shopping for people who are in need of very basic things. Military troops, children in hospitals, the elderly in nursing homes, and those who are homeless are great people to give to. Whoever you choose to gift, explain to your toddler their situation and how sacrificing something she wants would help provide for someone with a greater need. Give your little one a moment to put back her desired toy, and then let her help choose the presents to give away.
Of course toddlers are going to receive a present they will not find exciting and immediately announce their boredom; after all, they’re famous for their displays of unedited, honest thoughts. If they do receive something they are not so amused by, teach them that even if they might not feel excited about a present, it is still worthy of appreciation, and the giver must always be thanked. Help your toddler see the thoughtfulness and love behind a present, instead of the present itself. Understanding the process of giving and receiving, might forever give new meaning to a simple skein of yarn.
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