Tips for preparing the letter to the Magi

Fully immersed in the month of December, there comes that time of year when children must prepare their letter to the Three Wise Men and begin to write the famous phrase: "Dear Three Wise Men, this year ...". Some words that the little ones pronounce with enthusiasm, but that for parents, as every year, can be more than a headache .

 

In a society like the current one, in which consumerism abounds and advertising 'bombards' us at this time so that we can buy the more gifts the better; As parents, it is important to deal with our children's expectations of Christmas gifts and educate them on the importance of asking responsibly . Two keys that, in the long run, will prevent the child from developing an erroneous scale of values and losing the fundamental component at this time of year: illusion.

 

At Christmas, parents tend to make an 'extra effort' and shower our children with presents, something that -in addition to the gifts that our relatives give them- can lead, in the case of some families, to the children being Kings Day with up to 20 gifts or more! The origin of this is in the desire of parents to make our children happy and see them enjoy themselves; However, it is important to bear in mind that this excess of gifts can have very negative emotional consequences for our little ones .

 

Experts have confirmed that there is a syndrome, the so-called "hyper-gifted child syndrome" , associated with excess gifts at this time of year and that significantly impairs the way in which our children experience this event.

 

The overstimulation of receiving many gifts leaves children feeling overwhelmed and unable to focus on a single gift and fully enjoy it . Therefore, the emotion tends to disperse until it disappears.

 

By concentrating so many positive stimuli in a single moment of the year, children tend to raise their expectations regarding the gifts of Kings, thus causing greater frustration when they do not receive what they expect or have asked for.

 

When we hyper-gift our children, we inadvertently convey to them the idea that what they have is more important than what they are . This can cause the child to end up giving too much value to the material and develop selfish behaviors.

 

If we accustom our children to always having what they want, they may end up taking away all the value of gifts and develop the idea that it is not necessary to work hard to get things .

 

Without a doubt, these are compelling reasons for us, when preparing the letter to the Three Kings, to help our little ones to moderate their expectations and instill in them the values to ask responsibly.

 

Let your child know that there is a limit to the number of gifts he can ask for in his letter to the Three Wise Men ( experts recommend 4 ), and if your family members also give him gifts, talk to them to reflect and try to limit the number of presents they leave. in their houses.

 

Before Christmas arrives, talk to your child and help him decide on a specific gift that he is very excited about and really wants . Help him nurture that idea and boost his enthusiasm for that gift to turn Christmas into a magical time to look forward to.

 

In addition to limiting the number of gifts, you can encourage your child to choose one of each type of gift . For example:

 

- A gift that you really want

- A gift that you need , such as a backpack, some pencils, some football boots ...

- A non-material gift , such as an experience. Remember that at Landmar Costa Los Gigantes you will find a wide range of activities and experiences for the whole family to enjoy in the incredible surroundings of Los Gigantes, in the south of Tenerife!

- A gift that has a purpose, such as stories, puzzles ... or any object that encourages learning.

 

Take the opportunity to instill values such as generosity in your little one and ask him to include in his letter a gift for someone else (for example, something to donate).

 

Now, to take paper and pencil and to write!