How Can Christmas be the Best Time to Teach About Contentment to the Kids?

Christmas is all about fun, fairness, and happiness. We all pray that may Christmas fill our heart with joy. It’s not just a season, but it is a feeling.

I remember my childhood when all the brothers, sisters and friends mingle together and make our wish to Santa. We never knew that the real Santa is our parents and elders who love us from the bottom of their hearts and fulfill our desires with loads of lovely gifts.

The Christmas morning starts with the merrymaking song “Jingle bells, jingle bells. Jingle all the way.”

The kids unwrap the gifts and compare with each other and see who has got the best one. Now the problem starts. When they look that the other child has reached the exact toy they wished, they get disappointed and start throwing tantrums showing the utter dissatisfaction and jealousy.

We mustn’t overlook these issues by thinking them as trivial. If proper care is not taken, these problems can continue to grow from small toys to big cars, houses, and properties.

Children are growing. It is the parents' responsibility to teach contentment. They must learn how to be happy and satisfied with what we have. Fate can take us anywhere. Our kids can end in becoming very rich or not so financially sound. If the latter happens, their dissatisfaction can turn into psychotic ailments. We surely don’t want our offsprings to become criminals or maniacs for catering their high demands.

We need contentment to thrive. Kids are like empty vessels. Whatever we put in their minds through education, they will fill them and act accordingly. But, we must avoid harshness to educate them positively. Fairness and contentment go hand in hand. Children must learn to give and make others happy too.

Christmas is all about holidays that are the perfect time to teach kids contentment. Every family member is backing home to be together and spend quality time. The elders can set examples that it is neither the big house and job nor the materialistic things we possess that make us worthy.

• Take your child to a charitable organization

When a small kid learns to leave attachment to their stuffs and give them to other children like him/her, they will be filled with gratitude. Make a tour of a soup kitchen, orphanage or homeless shelter with your baby. They will view the faces of people with less fortune. Now, make your kids give the gifts you bought for those members. When the little soul watches the thankful gestures of the poor people, they will understand the dominion of giving.

• Set realistic expectations

You may afford sky-high demands of your kids. But, that doesn’t mean that they will be able to fulfill their raising expectations of their own in the future. Ask the busy bees to pen down their wish list. Discuss with other elders of the family. If the budget goes beyond your limit, talk to the kids. Tell them that high cost of the gifts can lessen the items. They may alter their wish list.

• Simple living

Don’t open the world of exaggerated luxury like a foreign tour, imported cars, and other commercial things to your kids. Instead, teach them the value of spending quality time, help others, and share their food and belongings with other children.

• Family bond

Children raised in a happy and united family are modest, humble and enlightened. They have watched both good and bad scenarios in the family. They have shared both smiles and tears with the other relatives. Therefore, they know the value of money and likely stay away from unnecessary grandness.

• Be a role model

Your kids grow up watching you. He/she follows the same behavior you are presenting. If they see you content with whatever you have, they will also find the sense of obligation with little things they own. You can frequently show your appeasement by saying “Thank you God for giving me food today”/or/ “We are lucky to live in a warm home in winter. Many people are sleeping on the streets in this chilling weather.”

• Teach them the value of money

Tell them the difference between wants and needs. Show them the limit line between quality and quantity. Teach them that earning money is not easy and it should be spent very carefully without wasting.

• Communicate

Be the best friend, philosopher, and guide to your child. Talk to them as much as you can. Christmas holidays give you the chance to spend more time with them. Build the closest relation with them.

Our little hearts must understand that inequality is a reality of life just like birth and death. It is upon us whether we celebrate with what we have or mourn on what we don’t have. We must lead our kids to practice contentment and gratitude.

Wish you Merry Christmas.