Let’s put some excitement back into giving this Christmas. I know there’s so many adorable little babies’ clothes and lots of toys all around the stores. It’s tugging at your heart to want to buy them. But your heart is torn because you don’t have children of your own to buy them for. You could buy some for your nieces and nephews. Don’t have any? No worries. I’ve got another idea for you.
Something that feels so satisfying is to give presents to children in need. That’s right, it’s time for you to be Santa and Mrs. Claus.
You can start by getting some information about the children. You can contact their parents, a friend of the family, a teacher, social worker, etc. Find out their sizes and interests. Then head out to the store and fill your cart.
Being financially focused, talk to your spouse beforehand and try to set a budget on how much you’d like to spend. Depending on that number, you’ll know how many kids you can bless and how much to get each one.
You could also get something for the parent(s) as well. If they are struggling financially, you could add a gift card for the grocery store, a restaurant card, or something to treat themselves. Often, parents in need will sacrifice to provide for their kids. So, it’s nice to be able to treat them too.
You can wrap and store all the presents under your Christmas. That way, you can feel like you’re going to have quite a party at Christmas. Don’t forget to put the children’s names on the presents so you don’t get confused where they are going.
Wake up on Christmas morning and enjoy a delicious breakfast with your husband or wife. Then it’s go time! Take all the presents and load them in your car. Drive to the receiver’s house. You can ring the doorbell and deliver the presents, watching the eyes of the kids light up as they see all the presents. Or you could contact the parent the night before and drop them off later so the parent has time to put the presents under the tree while the kids are sleeping. Get creative in how you want to do it. It’s fun in and of itself knowing that some kids are going to have a surprisingly wonderful Christmas.
Another option you could do is host a Christmas children’s party. If you need your fill of loving some children this Christmas, why not go all out. I realize this year probably isn’t the best for this idea, depending on where you live at the moment. If you’re not in lockdown, have some fun! If you are, this idea might have to wait until next year.
Anyways, parents are usually going crazy trying to keep up with work, regular routine, along with planning for Christmas. They have groceries and gifts to buy. It’s easy for the parents to disconnect from each other in the hustle and bustle as well. So, taking their children for a few hours one afternoon/evening would be a huge blessing to them.
You could have the children come for lunch. You could make mini-pizzas with them so they can add their toppings of choice. You could bake cookies or decorate gingerbread houses. You could play Pin the Tail on Rudolph. Play Christmas music and dance around the house. Then watch Frosty the Snowman or Rudolph. You could even read the Christmas story and have the kids act it out while you read. It could be a PJ or Christmas dressed themed party. Lots of options.
Either way, you could have several hours of fun with the kids and do some of the traditions that you’ve wanted to do with your own kids. Then, after everyone is good and tired, you can send them home and get some sleep…or they can have a sleepover and you can send them home in the morning. Whatever you and the families are comfortable with.
Don’t despair or dread the loneliness of an empty house this Christmas. Find ways to fill it with anticipation and fun.
