Many parents help their children to write their letter to Santa Claus or to the Three Wise Men. The truth is really that they want to see them in order to know what their children want. They are parents, so when all is said and done, they would always prefer to get something that will help their children to learn, to share and to be affable…..for good reason.
A lot of the time parents draw a blank and aren’t sure what to suggest. They get involved in the Christmas list and, of course, later the Three Kings and Santa get confused and bring things that either aren’t suitable or that the children don’t like. For this reason, we have made a list of recommendations that you should bear in mind when the time comes to point out certain toys in the catalogues or to write the e-mail to Lapland or the Orient.
- You shouldn’t be influenced by advertisements: Both Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men know that the toys that are advertised the most aren’t necessarily the best, so think long and hard mums, dads, sons and daughters, before you ask for them. Forget about what is on the television and consider whether it is what you really want.
- Mum and Dad: Remember that the Christmas List is your child’s and not yours. You maybe feel that one particular toy would be more suitable for your child than another one, but remember that it is the man in the big red suit and Their Majesties who give the little ones their presents. Before writing the list, have in mind what your child likes: so that they don’t bring a potential future artist chemistry set through your doing.
- What about asking for a themed “pack”?: If your children like dinosaurs, for example, you could ask for a DVD, a book and a videogame related to that. The ones who are bringing the gifts will certainly thank you for it when it comes to searching for them in the shops.
- Before adding a present to the list ask yourself some questions: such as is it truly something educational? Is it something that will benefit you? Are you sure it is age appropriate? Do you think the wise men will have it in their store?
- Remember that we are in the middle of an economic crisis and both the Wise Men and Santa have a limited budget. Even though they might be magicians or have elves helping them out it is likely that this year they don’t have that much to spend: remember they also have to deliver presents to all the children in the world.
- If necessary, ask for specialist help. Toymakers, being the suppliers of toys, know the business well and they will help to give you an idea of what you could ask for or what matches your tastes.
It isn’t much advice, but we think it could be very useful to both children and parents. You don’t have to follow these instructions right down to the letter but, even if you use them as guidelines, this year’s Christmas List could turn out to be quite concrete with regard to what it includes and therefore save the time and energy of those who are bringing the presents.