Even if a child quickly loses interest in new toys, this is not a reason to get upset or consider him too picky, says psychologist Lyudmila Petranovskaya. The most important thing in a holiday is the pleasure that we share with each other.
“You are preoccupied with finding New Year’s gifts and already imagine how beautifully you will pack them, hide them under the tree and how your child’s eyes will shine when he opens them … But will these gifts please him? Or, after turning a smart doll in his hands and opening the box with the designer, will he put them aside to go to the TV with a piece of cake? Perhaps we will experience disappointment when we notice that the child did not appreciate our efforts. But before we get upset, let’s ask ourselves: why are we buying all this? To show your love? To enjoy the realization that we can buy it all? Resurrect the atmosphere of the holidays that remained in our own childhood, or those that we only dreamed of then? Perhaps we will choose not exactly what our child is waiting for, but what we ourselves once strongly desired. Or, succumbing to advertising, we will give a “trend” thing that “now all the children want.” But your child is not “everyone”, he may be incomprehensible or even unpleasant Bakugan or robot dogs. It is unlikely that children will appreciate a “useful” thing, like a new jacket or sneakers. And even more so – surprises “with a hint.” Giving a skipping rope to a fat girl and dumbbells to a boy against the backdrop of recent reproaches “why are you so unsportsmanlike” is not a good idea.
Pass the tests
- Are you good at giving gifts?
If you feel that you “missed” with a gift, nothing prevents you from joking that Santa Claus can also make mistakes, and … continue the holiday. After all, the main thing is the impressions from the evening itself, the moments happily spent together. It’s wonderful to find gifts in Santa’s bag for grandma, parents and all the guests, to exchange enthusiastic “oh!” and “ah!” – in a word, to feel included in a magical ritual, involved in the joy of loved ones. It doesn’t matter what New Year’s Eve traditions your family adheres to. The main thing is that they exist and allow you to find time to get together: after all, joy lasts only when it is shared.
Lyudmila Petranovskaya, family psychologist, author of the book What to Do If… (Avanta+, 2010).
About it
“The clock struck a dozen” Tatyana BabushkinaA whole scattering of ideas from a talented teacher inspiring the reader to create a special, fantasy atmosphere at home for the New Year holiday (Rech, 2010).
Pass the tests
- What holiday are you dreaming about?