It’s that time of the year again….the holidays are coming and everyone wants to buy a gift for their family members.

Children are no different. They want to get in on the excitement. They want to buy something for mom and dad and grandma and grandpa and brothers and sisters.  If you’re school is like mine, they are happy to help.  Each year, as a fundraiser, our school holds a Holiday Shop, where kids can buy gifts for members of their family. Most items are priced $5 or below. There are a few items priced a bit higher.

Our Holiday Shop works similar to our book fair. Only in this case parents are sent home a blank list. The parents work with the child to make a shopping list. What family members are they going to buy for and how much are they going to spend on each person. The kids are sent back into school with the money and the list and wait for their class’ turn to shop. When their turn comes they are giddy and anxious. What should they buy for their sister? What would daddy like? Do they have enough money? Thankfully, parent volunteers can help. The kids make their selections and then have fun wrapping them up and tagging them to bring home. They come back to the classroom with big smiles on their faces and gifts in their hands.

But wait! Remember that child that didn’t have the money for books at the book fair. He is still in your child’s class. Do you think his desire to buy a gift for mommy is any less? Do you think his heart won’t be broken when his classmates talk about what they bought for daddy or if they’ll be able to keep it hidden till Christmas?

It’s just like the book fair. That child is sitting in his class with his heart slightly broken, he knows why he can’t buy anything, but does he really understand? Everyday when the teacher sends kids down to shop he is further reminded that he’s not going to get to go. His classmates, excited about their purchases, question him about why he didn’t get any.  What’s the child to do? Those same classmates are still too young to understand the complexities of poverty. They don’t know their excitement maybe making him upset. It’s not fair! Perhaps more than any other time of year, that unfairness is more apparent.

Again these thoughts nag at me. I don’t want any of my son’s classmates to feel isolated. So like with the book fair, I will send in a note and some money in an envelope to my son’s teacher. I will explain to her that if some children do not get an opportunity to shop before the Holiday Shop closes, she should give them some of this money so they could. And again it’s not about me; it’s about these sweet children. I do not want the names of the children. I simply want to spare any child the pain of being left out and I want them to be able to have the joy that comes with giving to others. I do not plan not tell my sons what I am doing. They will have other opportunities to see our values in place and this is not a situation I want them talking about in school.

The Holiday Shop or a similar type of event may soon be arriving in your school.  I ask, that if you can, you start this own little tradition for your child’s classmates. There will be no awards, no certificates of appreciation, and no pats on the back. But there will be one more kid smiling in your child’s class, one more parent who will feel blessed, and your heart will be touched knowing you made it happen.

Thank you and God bless,

Jenn