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Step 1
A friend of mine was disgusted when her kids opened all of their Christmas gifts and complained. Tired of their unthankful attitude, she packed up all of their presents and took them to the homeless shelter. Her children watched in horror as she gave the toys they rejected to some homeless kids who loved them. Every year, they now take presents to the homeless kids and serve Christmas dinner. This is a great way to help your kids have compassion for others less fortunate, but you can do it without giving your kids' gifts away.
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Step 2
Going to the homeless shelter is not the only way to instill the love of giving. Consider sponsoring a child through an organization that provides food, shelter, clothing, and education to a child from a foreign country. It would be great if your child wanted to write letters to the child you sponsor.
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Step 3
Take one child with you to go shopping for his or her sibling. Tell him to think of something he knows she might like to have. If he seems disinterested, make some suggestions. Let him make the choice of what to buy for his sister (unless it is obviously something inappropriate). When you get home, have him wrap it or help you if he is unable to finish without your help. Then take his sister shopping for his gift.
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Step 4
One final thought is to tell your kids about the soldiers that are away from their families at Christmas. Check with your local veteran's organization about sponsoring care packages for soldiers. Soldiers love receiving care packages and getting letters from kids.
