If the thought of your kid’s Christmas wish list makes you nervous, fear not. The experts are here to help! For most kids the biggest toy trends hit the top of their list. Unfortunately this puts lots of pressure on parents, and in these Covid-19 times it can be overwhelming. Us parents often struggle with giving kids too much or not enough, you often wonder where the balance should be, coupled with the feeling that they are too spoiled or not spoiled enough.
Frequent questions we ask ourselves include; what should we spend? Are we making them materialistic? Or just simply showing love? But rather than worrying about the Christmas wish list, parents can use it to help kids keep the right attitude and perspective during the biggest giving and receiving time on earth.
Bonus is kids love making a Christmas wish list! Here are some tips from the experts at Toys R Us on how to make, organise and share your kids wish lists with friends and family. This will ensure you get them something they really want and at the same time give them some guidelines and provide a good learning opportunity.
Setting guidelines
Children need guidance from their parents to manage expectations. This provides a good learning opportunity when creating their Christmas wish list. If you are particularly worried about a wish list promoting greed, an important thing to highlight is that, ‘Just because you list it, doesn’t mean you’re going to get it.’
Be sure to let them know that if they get it, great, but if they don’t that’s cool too. You could always help them create a savings plan to buy it themselves at a later time, especially if they’ve been given Christmas money.
Parents have the right to veto
Mom or dad have the last say! Kids should be aware that sometimes you just have to say NO. Explain to your kids why they need to accept it, move on and help them select a different gift. Give them some alternative options, brainstorm with them and discuss pros and cons.
Wants vs needs
This is an especially valuable conversation to have and the festive season provides a great opportunity to demonstrate this. Explain to your child the difference between a need and a want. Show them options of gifts that demonstrate both. Try and get them to include both on their Christmas wish list. It is a wish list after all, but some needs are quite expensive these days! They are never too young to learn about value.
Want to make it a little more fun? Why not have them write down something they need, want, can read, can wear, and can give! You can join in by doing one for yourself to give an example.
Putting the Christmas wish list together
This is the part all kids love! Get some coloured paper, decorations, crayons, pens and get creative. If you want a way for your kids to create a digital wish list and share it with family, Toys R Us have created an easy online registry.
It’s ideal for kids learning to be more digitally confident. Visit this link: https://www.toysrus.co.za/registry
Giving back
It should be instilled in your children that the festive season isn’t all about receiving, it’s also about giving. While they might be able to get what is on their Christmas wish list there are many children who won’t. Find a worthy cause to get your children involved in so they really feel the joy of giving back. Why not get them to donate some old toys of theirs before they get their new gifts? One in and one out is a great concept for kids to pick up.
Take advantage of this great learning opportunity this holiday and help raise conscientious gift givers and receivers. It’s just one more way you and your kids can add more joy into the holidays.
Looking for ideas? Browse the Toys R US Top Toys list! You can easily filter by price range and brand for easy shopping without the crowds. Check out some things to do in Cape Town with kids in the festive season.
