Holiday wish lists are far from a new concept, for most kids the biggest toy trends hit the top of their lists but the pressure every parent feels surrounding the festive season is sometimes overwhelming.
As a parent we often struggle with giving our kids too much or not enough, you often wonder where the balance should be, coupled with the feelings that they are too spoiled or not spoiled enough.
Frequent questions we ask ourselves include; what should we spend? Are we making them materialistic? Or just simply showing love? That’s where a wish list comes in, it helps parents and kids keep the right attitudes and perspective during the biggest giving and receiving time on earth.
Kids love making Christmas wish lists, here are some tips from the experts at Toys R Us on how to make, organise and share your kids wish lists with friends and family. This will ensure you get them something they really want and at the same time give them some guidelines and provide a good learning opportunity.
Setting guidelines:
Children need guidance from their parents to manage expectations and provide a good learning opportunity when creating their wish lists. If you are particularly worried about a wish list promoting greed, an important thing to highlight is that, ‘Just because you list it doesn’t mean you’re going to get it.’
Be sure to let them know that if they get it, great, but if they don’t that’s cool too, create a savings plan to buy it themselves at a later time.
Starting early:
Don’t wait until December to get your kids to do their wish lists. Every year Toys R Us releases their top toy list with an expertly curated selection of toys for all kids, this year is no exception. Children can pick up Geoffrey’s ‘Big Book of Wonder’ in-store or online making selecting toys for their wish list much easier. There’s also an opportunity to win their wish list.
A parents veto:
Mom or dad have the last say, sometimes you just have to say NO. Explain to your kids why they need to accept it and move on and help them select a different gift. Give them some alternative options, brainstorm with them and discuss pros and cons.
Needs vs. Wants:
This is an especially valuable conversation to have and the festive season provides a great opportunity to demonstrate this. Explain to your child the difference between a need and a want and show them options of gifts that demonstrate both.
Why not have them write down something they need, want, can read, can wear, and can give!
Putting the list together:
This should be the fun part. Get some coloured paper, decorations, crayons, pens etc and get creative.
If you want a way for your kids to create a digital wish list and share it with family, visit this link to create a registry: https://www.toysrus.co.za/registry
Giving back:
It should be instilled in your children that the season isn’t all about receiving, it’s also about giving as well. Find a worthy cause to get your children involved, why not get them to donate some old toys of theirs before they get their new gifts?
Take advantage of this great learning opportunity this holiday and help raise conscientious gift givers and receivers. It’s just one more way you and your kids can add more joy into the holidays.
For more information visit the website or follow Toys R Us on Instagram and Facebook #TopToys2021 #LandOfWonder #BigBookOfWonder
