Trying to Teach our Kids the Meaning of Christmas

For many years now, we have been doing this tradition trying to help our children learn about self-sacrifice, love, kindness, and humility. We get out our daughter's baby bed and buy raffia (to resemble hay). Starting on Dec. 1 (usually, but a bit late this year), we explain the plan. Every time you do something nice for someone, you can tell Ben or me and then we will put a piece of raffia in the baby bed. (This is merely logistics because of the small ones who would love to just throw the stuff around! As they get older there is no need to share with us, they can place the hay in on their own! The goal would be to get where they could and would do kind things without others knowing.) On Christmas morning, before we open presents and after we read the Christmas story in Luke, we check the bed to see if there is enough "hay" for baby Jesus to be comfortable. Then we place one of the girls' dolls in the bed. The hope is that it is overflowing with hay! It's interesting every year to see how much the kids want to do this and even point out when one of their siblings has done something worthy of a piece of hay. I love when they do nice things for others...it is sweet as a mom to see your kids understanding the needs of others and be willing to give up a bit of what they would want to do for others.