Trinitonian 19

FAMILY FEATURE
PERSONALISED CHRISTMAS TREE
DECORATION: In the run-up to
Christmas, you could hold a pre-
Christmas ‘Bauble Ceremony!’
- like an awards ceremony but
with dangly Christmas “trophies”.
Look for tree decorations or
baubles that have meaning to
each person – they do exist! For
instance, my husband’s first car
was a Volkswagen kombi, and we
found him one with a Christmas
tree on top. We have also seen
dinosaur Santas, Christmas
turtles, pizza decorations and
even a dangly gin and tonic for
mom. This exercise is fun and
helps everyone really think about
the people in their family.
SHARING
DO GOOD: Make it a family
exercise to select a dedicated
charity for the year and get
everyone to work towards
helping that charity. Non-profit
organisations also didn’t have
it easy the last two years and
they are struggling to make
ends meet. Look at your options:
the local old age home, an
orphanage in town, or your
local SPCA. Your family’s time,
collection of goods, monetary
contribution or even just a visit
will make a huge difference to
others and to the spirit of your
Christmas, too.
“
Choose one
of your teddies
or a special toy,
and give it to a
child to spread
the joy.
48 | The Trinitonian
”
CARING
THOUGHTFULNESS: Get your
family to take a moment to
think of a special friend or
family member that might need
something extra these holidays.
Is it someone who had many
financial challenges this year?
Is it someone who had to bury
one of their loved ones? Perhaps
a jar of ‘thought cookies’ would
mean a lot. The cookies could
have encouraging words or even
their names on them. Maybe a
delivery of some grocery items
might be the splash of hope they
need. Perhaps you could even
invite them to your family dinner
to show you really care.
KINDNESS
KINDNESS ELF: In many homes
the Elf on the Shelf is responsible
for fun and crazy mornings after
late night Elf shenanigans. From
messing cereal all over the
kitchen counter to wrapping
the Christmas tree in toilet
paper, they keep us on our toes.
Perhaps this festive season, the
Elf and his friends could rather
send messages to our kids of
suggested acts of kindness. Here
are some to consider:
• “Today we spread the
Christmas cheer, say a special
thank you to the car guard and
the shop cashier.”
• “There is no time to be a bore,
surprise your sibling by doing
their chores.”
• “Choose one of your teddies
or a special toy, and give it to a
child to spread the joy.”
Studies have shown that
kids who engage in random
acts of kindness are more
likely to be accepted by
their peers. Their good deeds
improve their well-being and
help them develop positive
perceptions of their world.