Happy Christmad or Just Another Day?

[mothhawk]

...It does annoy me when I need to buy birthday cards for my 2 sons, a cousin and a niece whose birthdays are very close to Xmas and it's virtually impossible to find appropriate cards.

Not if you shop for them in August

[1Bee]

Our 4yo has a birthday in Nov, and I've found that if I ask, the shops usually produce a selection in a box from the storeroom....

After a healthy dose of the self-centred-ness that comes with toddler-ness, the 4yo is just starting to get the 'giving to others less fortunate' idea. This year I'd like to get him involved with the local toys for kids appeal.

[Bigmallly]

What great idea Bee, start them off young.

[Scarlet]

After a healthy dose of the self-centred-ness that comes with toddler-ness, the 4yo is just starting to get the 'giving to others less fortunate' idea. This year I'd like to get him involved with the local toys for kids appeal.

Yes, great idea. They don't realise how lucky they are. When mine started nursery (a little local one) they were asked to donate to the Operation Christmas Child. They have a large depot near me. We've done many over the years since. Label a shoebox, boy or girl and fill with appropriate toys, paper and pens, sweets, hat or scarf and toiletries. They cost just £3 to send.

[bramble]

My grandkids do this every year.
The shoebox appeal.
It really makes them realise how lucky they are when they fill those boxes and seehow little some kids get for Christmas.

[1Bee]

Great minds. I was just looking at that website this morning.

[Jungle Jane]

I remember the days when my daughter woke at 5am to open her presents,shes 15 now & wakes eventually for present swapping,nice to have her come out of her room though & she cant hold her phone when shes opening presents,so its a rare occasion! I buy the cat a present & have a play with that,it's pets Christmasses too!! I put decorations everywhere downstairs & traditionally always buy a real tree,looks & smells lovely when you come home & can be recycled in the garden in spring. We have a big family meal (ten of us) at my sisters house,in the same town not far,Christmas day & play board games it's a laugh & great seeing everyone at the same time in the same room. I cant get into the christmas spirit till December,but some people buy & wrap all there presents by November,so it's good for them that the shops are stocked full of gifts now.

[Knight of Albion]

What great idea Bee, start them off young.

Yes, you're never too young (or too old) for kindness.

A good lesson now will stay with them for life.

[veggiechicken]

When I was a nipper, we were quite poor and presents really were special. My parents insisted that we gave away some of our old toys before we could have new ones - and that we should take them to the local catholic orphanage and give them to the nuns for the children.
We sorted out our toys, carried them to the orphanage, knocked on the big door and waited. A nun opened the door and we quaked in our shoes, she looked so intimidating. My little brother and I passed over our much loved toys and said they were for the children who lived there.
She looked at them, and said they didn't want them as they weren't new and shut the door in our faces - or so it seemed.
I've never forgotten that incident. It was all we had to give but we were rebuffed. Made me very glad to have been brought up non-conformist.

[chilli_grower]

That is terrible VC!

Reminds me a little bit of when I once held a door open for a lady, and she said to me "I am quite capable of doing that myself"

Yet if I hadnt have held the door open, I would have been considered impolite.

Some people are just weird, and thats that.

[veggiechicken]

You can teach children to be kind and have good manners but you can't teach adults so easily.

[Knight of Albion]

As the old saying goes ' The best teacher is good example'.

If you do a kindness or a courtesy, you aren't doing it (or at least you showing be!) for thanks or praise. you're doing it because your heart is good / you're a gentleman/lady.

If you hold the door for someone, you're a gentleman (or a lady) If the person says 'thank you', that's nice. Bless them.
If you brush past you without a word, they're rude - but you're still a gentleman (or a lady) and that is what matters.

And either way, maybe you'll teach them something.

[susieq100]

I find the commercialisation of Christmas deeply dispiriting. I am an atheist, so it is of no religious significance to me, but I am a 'cultural Christian' in that I recognise the social, cultural and historical importance that Christianity has had on this country. I love the baking, I make little hampers for friends and family of home made goodies and I love my Christmas dinner, cold turkey for Boxing Day and turkey soup from the carcass. I have quite a large family so we long ago agreed that there was a £10 limit on presents for adults in the immediate family (brother, sister, parents etc) and no gifts for adults in the extended family. Still give little gifts and a little cash to the 'children' and this year will be my grand-daughter's first Christmas where she will notice that things are a little different. OH died last year so I am still very sad about that and suspect that I will be for quite some time (ie always) but he was really 'bah humbuggish" about Christmas, although he loved the socialising.

The local Garden Centre were putting up their Christmas stuff on 18th September. Gloom, gloom.