Merry Christmas! One of the most fun and cherished gifts I probably ever gave to my children for Christmas was something called “You and Me Kid” cards. I thought I would share that with you. They are easy to make, very personal, cost-effective and provide a means for investing in your children throughout the year. They build trust, create play opportunities and provide nurturing. Win/win!
Here are the steps to creating “You and Me Kid” cards:
1. Grab 10 of your business cards or cut 3×5 cards into smaller sizes.
2. On a separate sheet of paper, write a list (separate one for each child) of what your child enjoys doing with you or receiving from you. Here are some possible ideas:
- – Taking a walk
- – Reading together
- – Cooking
- – Baking
- – Going out for ice cream
- – Tickling
- – Wrestling
- – A special vacation
- – Special dinner night
- – Date night or day
- – Lunch
- – Early morning Starbucks run
- – Riding bikes
- – Horseback riding
- – Snuggling on the couch
- – Talking
- – etc.
3. Once you have a good solid list, choose 10 of those items that you would enjoy giving to your child.
4. Take one card at a time and write one item from your list on each card. Do this for all 10 cards.
5. Decorate the cards with colorful pens, sparkles, stickers (whatever your child likes).
Wala! You have 10 “love gifts” for your child’s stocking.
The REAL gift is this … let your child know that these are certificates for them to present to you when they want to “redeem” what is listed on the card. If they want to take a walk, they bring you that card. Make sure you honor the certificate! That’s super important for building trust, respect and joy between you. If you can’t do something in that very moment, you need to immediately put that event on the calendar at a mutually agreeable time. Make sure you do it soon. This is your gift of love … time. Later in life, as your children look back, these will probably be their most favored gifts. Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
For support on your parenting journey, schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation today!