Great kids get grateful

Instead of giving in to the holiday gift-giving madness of having to find a Hatchimal or Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit, how about refocusing your child?  

Give the gift of gratitude—talk with your kids about fun ways you've shared your gratitude with others, or start some new traditions with your family. 

• Talk about your day—what things happened today that made you happy?
  
  
• Surprise an elderly neighbor by shoveling snow or clearing their car of snow.
  
  
• Write a note to a teacher to tell them what you like about them, and wish them a happy new year.
  
  
• Think about giving a hand-made gift—this is something even your teenaged kids can get behind. Bake cookies, write a poem, make a paper snowflake—anything that gets your child into his or her creative zone.
  
  
• Have a party—one of my high school-age patients told me she recently hosted a "friends-giving" lunch, with each classmate bringing a dish to share. The kids had a fun time and built new memories together.