TAG Question of the Week

By now, everyone has turned in their list. Santa has his orders and he is now working to pull it all together to ensure that our little ones have a very merry day. Regardless of the occasion, whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, birthdays or other occasions requiring gifts, there is something magical about providing our children with the objects of their hearts’ desires. (Exemptions include such requests as an R.V., pet penguin or trip to Venus.)

And while they’re thrilled when they receive it, in many cases over time, the thrill dissipates and the items that were once the most wonderful, needed items on the earth can now be found at the back of the closet, under the seat in the car, midway through the toy box, or worse, dragged out into the yard by the dog and left in the rain. Or even sometimes, let’s be honest, that wonderful item that they opened 10 minutes ago has been forgotten as soon as they open the next. More

Gifts!! Who doesn’t feel a little giddy when they see a present that has their name on it? Perhaps Scrooge, prior to learning that happiness has nothing to do with wealth but actually sharing with others? Or maybe the Grinch before learning that Christmas came to Who-ville “without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!”

Christmas morning can be a tear of gift opening, thrills and fun … and also expectations of receiving what’s on our list. We don’t want to let them down, but are we so busy filling orders that we cater to the “I Want” syndrome epidemic in today’s society? More

TAG Question of the Week

“No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.” – Edmund Burke

We are all compelled to help in different ways. Some refer to it as a ‘calling’. Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the amazing efforts of another person? Perhaps you know a doctor, like Dr. Brian Huff, who travels to other countries to provide medical care to those who do not have access or Rachel O’Neill who has organized tens of thousands of dresses for little girls in Africa. Or did you read about the Lewis family who went on a year-long trip around the world, committed to six continents and 12 good deeds, volunteering in a different country each month? More

Most of us expect our children to complete some sort of household responsibilities, whether that’s cleaning their bedroom, unloading the dishwasher, or taking out the trash. We give them chores not because we want a clean house (ok, well, that’s part of the reason), but because we are teaching them to become responsible, self-sufficient adults.

The same principle applies for teaching our children to give. We’re not including our children in our family’s philanthropic activities simply so they’ll be aware that we make charitable donations. Rather, we hope to give them the values and tools they’ll need to become adults who care about making a difference in their world. More

We’re all familiar with the research. The number one influence in a child’s development is home and family. In some ways this is enlightening and in other ways it’s kind of frightening. What we do really does impact our children’s behaviors and habits. From the earliest days, babies follow their parents’ moves, mimic their expressions and respond to their actions. And this influence grows as the child develops cognitively. More