Every year we make gifts for neighbors, friends, and special people in our lives. This year we chose to honor the Sunday school teachers at our church with homemade vanilla caramel hot cocoa. Sunday school teachers make a great sacrifice and often are overlooked for all they do. My children have benefited greatly from the love and instruction of the teachers they are blessed with. So it was only natural that we make them a special present. My preschooler was very excited to make her teacher something since she loves her teacher very much. It also had a beautiful effect. My preschooler decided to make other people in her life special gifts.
While the gifts she made were not perfect in form or will be up for artistic awards they were made from the heart. A true gift of love and gratitude in the purest form are the gifts handmade from a child. A child gives her best without expecting anything in return. I was so thrilled to see my child want to express her love and appreciation with her own hands. She made her sister a book of pictures, she made her brother a picture of a football and her other sister a picture of a doll. She continued to make pictures for others and dedicated the crafts we made during the season to give to people on her little list.
If you want to encourage your child to make gifts as it teaches the true meaning of giving then make gifts with your child. Easy gifts to make are mason jars of hot cocoa or cookie mixes. Another easy gift to make is cakes in mason jars as you can bake right in the jar! Look up Christmas crafts or make cookies to give to neighbors and relatives. Involve your child by having her sign her name and do as much as she can. She will learn to work with her hands and to remember to thank those she loves.