Teaching Kids How to Graciously Accept Gifts of All Kinds

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We’ve all been there. Our child has been given a gift and had a super embarrassing response, such as “I don’t want this,” “I already have this one,” or they toss it aside like it is nothing. And, as their mom, you want to crawl under a rock. First, please know that this is a rite of passage for all parents during the holiday season. It does not mean you are a bad mom, or you are raising naughty children. The truth is kids have to be taught how to graciously accept gifts – even gifts they may not want.

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Talk to Kids Beforehand

The first thing you need to do is talk to your kids beforehand about your expectations. Don’t expect kids to know they shouldn’t tell grandma they don’t like something if you have been raising them to be truthful. That is hard for little ones to understand. Instead, explain that they may receive gifts they don’t like or that they already have. In these cases, they should say “thank you” rather than something that may hurt the gift giver’s feelings. Depending on your situation, you may also want to explain what they should expect, such as “Uncle Joe is giving you one small thing, so don’t look for more gifts.”

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Gifts are Not Owed

An important thing to teach kids is that they are not owed gifts. This is difficult for them to grasp, so just stick to explaining the word gift means “something given” instead of something expected or demanded. You may want to explain that the gift-giver spent their time and money finding their gift, so it is rude to act ungrateful – no matter what the gift is.

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Set Gift Receiving Rules

As a family, define your gift receiving rules. For example, your family may decide that you will open one present at a time instead of everyone opening everything at once. Another rule is to a say kind “thank you” after opening each gift.

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Describe Unacceptable Responses

Along these same lines, you should also explain what responses to gifts are unacceptable. Some examples include:

  • A sarcastic or rude “thank you”

  • I don’t want this

  • I don’t like this

  • What else did you get me?

  • Is this all?

  • I already have this

A good way to make this stick is to have your kids consider how they would feel if someone responded in these ways to their gifts.

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You’re Welcome

Along with teaching your kids to say “thank you,” you should also teach them how to handle being the gift giver. The holiday season is the perfect time to teach kids how to say, “You’re welcome” when they are thanked.

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Model It for Your Kids

Finally, and most importantly, model how to graciously accept gifts to your children. They are watching you. If you say “thank you” and show genuine enthusiasm for the gifts you receive, they will be more likely to follow your example.

What tips do you have to help other parents handle holiday gift receiving?