When my children were much younger, they delighted in making gifts for my husband and myself. Christmas was no different until they started noticing people talking about shopping for just the right gift. They wanted to be a part of it. They still loved making treasures for us but they wanted to give more. While I loved their workmanship, I could understand their request. Being on a budget though, I was the one who now needed to be creative.

I had an idea and packed up the children to go shopping. They were so excited and feeling very grown up. When we arrived at the store, I instructed them that they could pick out anything in the store for their dad. Yes, anything. They eyes lit up and they started their hunt. Giving them complete freedom to pick out anything meant I could see my child’s heart. They carefully considered what their dad needed and what he already had. They talked about how he could use various items and both of the children took their purchase very seriously.

There were lots of interesting gifts that came from The Dollar Tree when my children were very young, but the memory of watching my them, unrestricted and thinking of others was priceless.

Now that my children are older, the Dollar Tree no longer holds the same fascination. How do you help your children shop for others?