The tree is lit, the stockings are stuffed, cookies are baking in the oven and Christmas is on its way! As parents enter this time of year when families come together, they can gather the kids with some gingerbread and hot cocoa to talk about the true reason for this holiday season.

Discuss the Reason for the Season

It is always a lot of fun for kids to think about their letters to Santa, talk about what they want and see lots of presents under the tree, but that is only half of the holiday. It is important that parents teach their kids about the joys of giving as well as receiving. Parents should talk to their kids about the real magic of Christmas, which comes from the generosity inside every heart. Once the kids understand the magic behind what giving can mean, they can be just as excited about giving gifts as they are about getting them.

The Fun in Giving

Get the kids excited about giving this season! Have them bake cookies for the local fire department, their teachers at school, senior citizens at a nursing home or patients in the hospital. Try and have them give in some way to people besides family so they can experience helping others in need, even when they do not know them. Other ways to give are to adopt a family, help out at the Salvation Army or send a care package to a soldier abroad. It can be exciting for a child to feel like they are making a difference and parents can make it a tradition in their home to help someone outside of family every year.

Celebrate with Family!

The kids can also enjoy giving to their family. Help the kids pick out their own gifts for parents, siblings and grandparents. They can also help to wrap the presents in order to gain more pride in what they give. Another way the kids can help with giving is to participate in holiday traditions. Some classics include letters or cookies for Santa, reading the Christmas Story, Elf on the Shelf or watching a classic Christmas movie. Families can also make up their own unique traditions that are special to only their family. Traditions can last a lifetime and it always means a lot for children to have them to share with the family.

Christmas Morning!

Once Christmas morning arrives, help the kids to share in giving by appreciating what others receive. Rather than letting the kids dive in to find their presents, have each family member open one gift at a time. This way, everyone around the tree can be just as excited about another family member's gift as they are about their own. One way to get the kids involved is to let them pass out the gifts one by one. That way, they have an important job that will help them with being patient.

Christmas is the best time for giving as a family. Help the kids find joy in giving this holiday season and receive the very best gift of all, the gift of generosity.

One of the many wonderful ways to bond with young children is to create an environment that is hands-on in several different ways. The best way a child can learn is by combining action with creativity and one way for parents to help create that environment is with music.

Purchase Instruments

There are several play instruments available for purchase that are great for encouraging child creativity. Some of the best options are drums, maracas, xylophones, horns or guitars. Something that the kids can beat or strum is always the most fun. Often, toy instruments will be sold in sets. Parents can also find toddler toys used but still in good condition from parents who have growing children.

Make Instruments

Another way to offer musical instruments to the kids it to make them from scratch. Good examples are putting dried beans in between two plates and tapping them together to create a tambourine, placing beads inside plastic bottles to make maracas, stretching rubber bands across an empty tissue box to make a guitar or using pots, pans and wooden spoons for drums.

Start a Band

Once all the kids have their own instrument, start a family band. Have everyone line up and march around the house pretending to be a school marching band or set everyone up in the living room so they can have a rock concert. Make it even more fun for the kids by recording the entire thing or take pictures and have the kids autograph their photo to send to grandparents or other family members.

The More the Merrier

Make it a real party by inviting friends over for the kids to play with. Have each child bring their own instrument or have an instrument craft party. Once all the kids and their friends have an instrument, have all the parents help line their kids on the sidewalk and perform a concert up and down the streets of the neighborhood. Parents can also have all the kids dress up in fun clothing, complete with a snazzy hook-and-loop toddler belt.

Future Stars

Interacting with music is a great way to help the kids with sensory development as well as listening skills. Another benefit is, if children are involved with music and instruments early on, they are more likely to be interested in playing real instruments as they get older. Playing music, or even singing, can be a great way for children to get involved socially and develop skills that can lead to future interests.

Make It a Family Event

The best thing that can come from playing music with the kids is family involvement. Children need activities where they see that their parents are involved in what they are doing. They also need to know that their parents care about spending real time with them while doing something that they enjoy. Music is a great outlet for that and a great way to spend time together as a family.

Whether it is rock, hip hop or the blues, get the family together, pass out the guitars and start the music!

With the invention of the smartphone and the coming of the tablet, books are often scarcely seen. However, for parents of toddlers, books are still extremely important. Parents reading to their children has a huge impact in a lot of different ways and that is why it is so important to raise a young reader.

The Benefits

Reading is one of the best ways to help kids developmentally. Reading books with a child works to stimulate optimal patterns as well as brain development. Another huge benefit that comes from reading is that it strengthens the relationship between a child and their parent. It is easy to sit a child in front of the television or hand them a tablet, but reading requires real time that create bonding moments that cannot be replaced. Reading can also help with language development, visual learning and, in some cases, sensory development.

How to Start

Parents should have a collection of several books for the kids from the start. There are several great options out there to choose from. Parents can check out a local bookstore, supermarket or even second hand shop. For toddlers, board books are often the best option since they are harder to tear or damage. As the kids get older, books with paper pages can be introduced. Also for toddlers, look for books that are engaging but not overly long or complicated as those often do not hold a child’s attention. Other good things to look for are colorful pictures, interactive activities or books that come with music.

When to Read

Some children like books more than others but every child can benefit from them. Some parents will have no problem finding a time to read because their child will constantly be bringing books to their parent’s laps. Others kids prefer running as often as possible and may have a harder time standing still. In those cases, right before bed or after dinner may be better for reading since it is the time of the day for winding down. It can be a great tradition for parents to read a book to their child every night before bed. It is a wonderful bonding experience and also gives the kids something to look forward to when thinking about bedtime, which can assist parents with evening routines. Sometimes books can also be read in the mornings while the kids are getting ready to get dressed and picking out a hook-and-loop toddler belt.

What to Read

There are millions of children’s stories in the world but every child develops their favorites. Parents can keep their eyes and ears peeled while reading to their children to see what kind of things end up being their favorites. Once parents find out what their kids prefer, they can look for other books that include similar things. A child’s interests will change as they grow and their books can follow. Also, remember to purchase books with higher reading levels as the kids get older.

Even in a world filled with screens, real books still play an important role in a child’s life. Do not lose that moment. Gather the kids together and read a book!

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to be with the family. There is nothing better than seeing all the loved ones together while enjoying endless turkey and pie. It is easy for young children to understand that they get good food and get to see their out of town relatives, but it is not always easy to understand why. This year for Thanksgiving, make sure the kids know why this special day really exists.

Start at the Beginning

As a family, it is a good idea to start a Thanksgiving feast by telling the story of the very first Thanksgiving. Explain to the kids that, even though they were so different from one another, both the native Indian people and the pilgrims came together for a wonderful meal to give thanks. Parents can link that story to their own children's lives today. Help them understand that even people who are really different can celebrate with others and enjoy being thankful.

Explain Thankfulness

The best tradition to start with the family is to go around the table before eating anything and have everyone say one thing that they are thankful for. This will help the kids to understand what being thankful really means. Parents can also explain to their children that being thankful means caring about the things that they love the most, like family, as well as things that keep them safe, like a home. They can also be thankful for things that make them happy, like a new toy. Help them think of some things to be thankful for so that, on Thanksgiving, they are ready to speak when it is their turn around the table.

Helping and Caring

Another way to teach the kids about being thankful is to have them help in some way. Whether it is helping a parent with the cooking or cleaning, helping relatives from out of town with unpacking their suitcases or even helping to set the table before dinner. Offering to help out can be a great way for the kids to show appreciation for everything their parents do on Thanksgiving day. 

Let the Good Times Roll

To get the holiday spirit rolling, here is a fun craft to do with the kids:

Hand-Print Turkeys

Have the kids dip their hands in brown paint and put a hand-print on some white paper to make a Thanksgiving turkey. Once the paint is dry, they can paint the first four fingers orange and yellow to make the tail and add an orange beak and an eye to the thumb for the turkey's head. Make it even more fun and paint a little pilgrim's hat on the head or add some feathers to the tail. To finish it off, paint some legs at the bottom so the kid's turkey can run fast and will not get eaten!

Thanksgiving is one of the best times of the year for family. This year, both parents and children can spend this Thanksgiving being truly thankful for everyone who is a part of theirs.