Dear Queenie,
It’s getting close to the holidays and my relatives are starting to ask me what my kids want for Christmas. Every year they give the kids so many toys and things and sometimes several of them get the same thing so that the kids have 2 or even 3 of the same toys.
I know I can donate the duplicates to one of those charity drives for the less fortunate but it seems like an awful waste of time and money, not to mentions the things the kids wanted that they didn’t get because they got 2 of something else instead.
Queenie, do you have any suggestions?—Overwhelmed
Dear Overwhelmed,
Make a list of the things the children would like to get for Christmas and have each of your relatives pick something from that list. Make sure to mark off the items that have been selected already to prevent duplication.
You might also include on the list some less tangible items, like special outings the child would enjoy: an afternoon at a sporting event; lunch or dinner at a restaurant that caters to children, like Burger King or McDonald’s, or perhaps a picnic; taking the child along on a community service event like a beach cleanup; or some kind of learning experience like a dance or music lesson. The adults can give the children “vouchers” for such items, to be redeemed at a later date.
