The Holiday Spirit Of Giving: Helping Kids Get It

BY CHRIS TAYLOR
NEW YORK Thu Dec 4, 2014 1:00pm GMT

Dec 4 (Reuters) - Ah, the holidays. The season for time-honored traditions like decorating the tree, lighting the menorah, wrapping gifts ... and wondering whether you have raised the most selfish kid in the world.

Almost every parent has felt this at one time or another, as toddlers and teens obsess over accumulating more and more holiday stuff. Robin Gorman Newman is no different.

"Like any kid, my son loves to receive," says Newman, mom to an 11-year-old in Long Island, New York, and founder of the organization Motherhood Later for moms over 35.

"They're all obsessed with getting, especially when they're younger," Gorman says. "If you saw my basement, you would know what I'm talking about."

Which is why Newman embarked on a campaign to shift her son's mindset from getting to giving. First on the agenda: Baking brownies to bring to the local firehouse, and to families of sick kids staying at the local Ronald McDonald House.

For parents who are trying to encourage giving instead of getting, it can often feel like shouting into the wind, especially at this time of year. American adults are planning to splurge an average of $861 on gifts this holiday season, according to a new survey by American Research Group.

That's up 8 percent in a single year, surpassing 2007 numbers for the first time since the recession hit. As a result, little Johnny and Janie can expect to rip the wrapping paper off more boxes over Christmas o...

Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - December 4, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news