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You Get What You Get and You don't Get Upset

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ADVICE RATING

4.57 (Highly recommend) from 21 votes (1330 Visits)

Teach your child to appreciate the gifts they get

by mrsbrown4701

(November 2006) (rank 279th)

The best way is to set a good example. When you receive gifts, show your appreciation. If your child makes a drawing for you or helps you, thank them and mention something specific that you appreciate about the gift or the help they gave. Teach them to say thank
you to others (and to draw or "write" thank-you notes), and praise them when they are polite, instead of just correcting them when they don't behave properly. When your child gets something from a relative and says thank you, tell them how much you liked their behavior and how wonderful and grown-up they sounded. Statements such as "You should be grateful for everything you have" don't really make people more appreciative. Preaching to children doesn't work, at any stage.

Another great way to help your child value their gifts: Don't spoil them. I know you may be tempted to shower your child with toys and other material objects, but overindulgence doesn't bring happiness and often leads children to be less appreciative of what they have. So when your child has a birthday, for example, give them just one or two toys instead of half a dozen, or opt for less expensive items rather than pricey "prestige" gifts. After all, what children need — and appreciate — most from their parents is time spent together.

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ADVICE RATING

4.57 (Highly recommend) from 21 votes

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	October 2007 \| etcircus

Re: Teach your child to appreciate the gifts they get

Great ideas here. I love it at parties when at some stage the children all get the present that they have brought for the birthday child and sit in a circle. One by one they give the present to the birthday child who thanks them. Everyone claps for each present (really applauding the time and thought put in and reinforcing to children that giving is wonderful). I've noticed mums and dads in the background writing down who gave what at this time so that the birthday boy/girl can be specific when thanking the guests later for the presents. I like the template below, what a good way to encourage children to have manners and to develop writing skills :) Thanks for teaching your children manners :) I always say "when you use your manners, it shows that you respect other people" :)

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	5.00 (Excellent) \| December 2006 \| LaRenae

I saw

I saw somewhere, I think it was a magazine article, a neat project for parents to do for their kids. Make a printed sheet that reads :

Dear ____________ Thank you so much for _________

For giving me ____________

For sending me ___________

For doing for me _________

________________________ was so special and I trully appreciate it.

Love , ______

This is not a truelly great interpretation, but I hope you get the idea. Make and print a note with blank spaces to fill in and places for check marks, etc ..... One "generic" letter that your young child can easily fill out by checking the appropriate boxes pertaining to the situation and having spaces to fill in specific info, like names of the people the letter is addressed to .... I loved this idea and will use it in the future ! I believe it will help teach my boy appreciation of anything done for him and anything given to him ! And it will assist him in making his own "Thank You" notes ... a very polite thing to do !

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	5.00 (Excellent) \| November 2006 \| ssedgar

appreciation

i have taught both my boys to say thankyou for anything they get. Jacob 1 is really good with his manners he is always saying thankyou.

We have relatives who are well off and their children are so spoilt and unappreciative, that when i had my boys i tried wverything to make sure they were not like that.

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	5.00 (Excellent) \| November 2006 \| Jessgore

Gifts...

My father used to always tell us kids "Never look a gift horse in the mouth," Ok now that I write it, it does not sound like it makes any sense.. LOL But basically what it means, no matter what is given to you apreciate it... As the person giving you the gift is usually doing it because they like you and want to, even if the gift is not of your taste, or just down right usless, they feel good for giving it to you. It is the thought that counts.

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	5.00 (Excellent) \| November 2006 \| mrsbrown4701

Giving gifts

My kids are just as into giving gifts as they are receiving now.... I have always made a big fuss about choosing something appropriate for the intended receiver, and encourage the kids to think about it too.. if the little girl next door plays with trucks when she comes to our house, she might like a truck of her own do you think? Lucky you are an expert on trucks, lets go choose one.
And then we make wrapping paper from newspaper end rolls and peg it on the fence and paint and paint until our hearts are content, and then we make a card, wrap the present and ALWAYS put ribbons, tassles and bows on them too and sometimes we uses stickers instead of sticky tape! The kids get such a kick out of the process, except they are devastated when the wrapping paper they put their heart and soul into, is torn off in a one quick moment and not really appreciated! LOL

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	October 2007 \| etcircus

Re: Giving gifts

I always think it's great when children make wrapping paper or cards for the birthday child. I always point out "oh that would have taken some time and effort, he/she must really care about you" and you are fantastic for teaching your children that you show love through actions and time, not just presents. I recieve tonnes of Christmas cards from kids (well my characters do haha) and my favourites are always the ones that the kids have drawn or written in themselves. Hehe I adore the way kids draw lopsided lovehearts :) I have recieved expensive 'thankyou gifts' that don't compare to the child who opened a clock, painted the face for me and put it back together so that I could have my own 'clown clock'. Well done for encouraging your children to be artistic AND caring :)

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	4.68 (Excellent) \| November 2006 \| Kristen

Thank you notes

I wish we were better at that in this house. We are really working on saying "thank you" though. It is so important.

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