If a child gives you a handmade gift, convince him it's your favorite gift of all.
Last year we had mini mailboxes for each member of our family. Each morning in December there was a small surprise in the kids mailboxes. Things from the $1 store or coupons to read an extra book, or have special time with mom or dad. The best days were the mornings when I would go to put a surprise in the kids mail boxes and find the flags already up. They surprised mom and dad and each other with notes and pictures and small tokens from their toy boxes. It was wonderful to see them returning the giving.
Here's a twist on the idea.
One of my favorite traditions involves an ornament on our tree. It's a simple, small mason jar with holly berries glued around the top, and it hangs from a branch by a metal wire (you can actually buy this jar at Michael's Arts and Crafts right now for $2.99). We typically put our tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving and my son hangs this special ornament low on the tree where he can reach it because he knows that every morning a special treat just from me appears in this jar for him. Treats range from a lollipop... to a matchbox car, or even notes of praise over a job well done. The treats are usually small and very inexpensive and I do this every day until Christmas when the tree comes down. He absolutely loves this time during the morning and I love hearing him scamper into the living room and exclaim with glee over his new found treat. Surprisingly, it's not the toys or candy that he gets the most excited about... it's the coupons to stay up an extra half hour that night or the chance to plan our menu for dinner. -- Harmony in Florida and Rene C.
A baby food jar would work well for this too. Let your kids decorate their own jar.
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