How to Organize Christmas Toy ShoppingWritten by Barbara Myers
It's so easy to go overboard when shopping for kids this time of year. We want them to enjoy all things we didn't have growing up. It's important to set limits though.1. List all children you'll buy for this Christmas. Don't forget an extra toy for your local shelter. 2. Set a firm budget for each child. 3. Note individual interests, hobbies and collections. 4. Ask them what they want for Christmas. You may think Will needs more Legos, but all he really wants is a caboose for his train set. 5. Look through mail order catalogs and internet toy sites for ideas and note them on your list. Place an order if you find perfect toy.
| | The Red Balloon of HappinessWritten by David Leonhardt
Just when you think you know it all, some 17-month old child comes along and teaches you another valuable life lesson.Little Lady lost her favorite ball. There are few things that bring this 17-month-old more joy than playing with her favorite ball. And, of course, we want our daughter to have all happiness she can get. So we headed out to store to replace missing ball. Little Lady enjoyed outing, since there were so many exciting things to pull off shelves. And when we reached ball aisle, she nearly jumped for joy. (OK, more like raced to bin and started covering floor with her joy, one bounce at a time.) As we left aisle, Little Lady was happy and smiling. She held her replacement ball in her hands as we walked up to cash. While waiting to pay, Little Lady caught sight of a red balloon that had obviously been used for some promotion, but was now wandering aimlessly around floor like a lost puppy. If you think a ball can bring happiness, wait 'til you see sparkle in eye of a toddler who has just found her very own red balloon. Pure joy! Of course, she adopted balloon immediately and clung to it all way back to car. Did she want to hold ball? No way. She had a balloon! I couldn't help but marvel at how she valued free, fragile balloon more than sturdy ball I for which had just paid good money. Is there a lesson we can learn for self-actualization? Here are possible lessons that immediately occurred to me: 1. Why bother having a thick skin, if your daughter prefers thin skins? 2. If you drift aimlessly long enough, you might get adopted. 3. Money can't buy most important things in life (happiness, joy, smiles, balloons, etc.) 4. Your child can see value where you cannot, so listen to what she says.
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