Are your kids are getting excited about Christmas and the toys that they will receive?  You may be wondering where you are going to store all those old and new toys? 

One family I know has a tradition they taught their children at a very young age. At the beginning of December, they sort through the toys and pick out those they do not play with anymore and are not going to be passed down to younger siblings. Then they place the toys together in a big box that the kids decorate and take to a local charity organization that holds a toys-for-tots drive at Christmas. The parents teach them that Christmas is Jesus' birthday, and that since we cannot give a present directly to Jesus, we give presents to other children who are in need. By giving to others in need we are giving to Jesus. Imagine how children are molded into a spirit of giving rather than getting when a family practices this tradition every year. (12/12/1999)