The day before Halloween, one of my daughters asked me if she could start her letter to Santa. I said yes, of course, but inside I worried that they'd come to see the holidays as just a time of presents, gifts, and getting. I want them to focus on the true joy of the holidays -- giving. So I cut out a nine foot tall tree out of packing paper and taped it to a wall in my dining room. Then my oldest daughter and I spent an afternoon cutting hundreds of leaves out of construction paper. I told them that every time they do something nice for someone, they need to write it down on the leaf. They didn't seem too excited. I think one of them even asked, "Do you we have to?" So I told them that on November 30, I'd count to see who had the most leaves, and that person would get to go out with me for a manicure and a fancy dinner at the restaurant of their choice. Boom! They were in and then, like a miracle, they seemed to forget about the contest and just got into the idea of doing things for others.
Here are some of their leaves:
I had my last good eraser and gave it to a girl in my class who really wanted it.
I helped my friend Claire to not cry.
A girl needed $2 to buy a book at the book fair, so I gave her my last $2.
I stuck up for a girl who was getting picked on.
I was a good sport when my team didn't win the game at P.E
I shared my birthday presents with my sisters.
They keep getting more creative and excited each day. So, I shared this idea with people on my newsletter list and asked them to share a "leaf" with me. Today, I got my first one!
Arlene in North Carolina recently adopted two dogs who she's going to train to be therapy dogs.
I love it! If you get a chance, post a leaf here or send me an email: samantha@thecrystalchick.com
I promise it will make your holiday more meaningful and rewarding.
