Local family counselor weighs in on gift expectations
By: Nancy Cook
Updated: December 12, 2011
Managing children's gift expectations is something many families deal with during this time of year.
Dr. Robert Minniear, of Shreveport Family Counseling, says if your family is dealing with job loss, it's best to explain to kids that they may need to downsize their list to Santa.
He suggests taking them out shopping so they have an idea of how much things cost.
Children should be encouraged to think in terms of, "The items I want are going to total up to around $200 and the parents have set maybe a $100 limit what am I going to have to decide to subtract," Dr. Minniear said.
Dr. Minniear also said parents can emphasize the importance of giving versus receiving this holiday season by having a child donate used toys to area organizations.
Although Dr. Minniear says there are numerous websites available to explore the theme, below are three to begin with:
www.buynothingforchristmas.com
Reported by Sara DiMura
