The Twelve Days of Christmas is a great time to teach your family more about service to others. During the Christmas season, it's easy to think about what we want, in terms of gifts, but it's important to help our youngsters think beyond themselves, and to appreciate their circumstances. There are many directions you can go, in terms of teaching your kids to have a servant's heart.
1. Select a family or neighbor that may be challenged during the season, whether economically, or due to lonliness, or some other factor. Use those 12 days to do something special, each day, to encourage that family or neighbor. Perhaps there will be gifts, or a food basket, or a stocking, or perhaps you will leave notes of encouragement. Remaining anonymous is a great deal of fun!
2. Select different service projects for each day, which might include some of the previous ideas, but might also include: making a shoebox for an international ministry; shopping for one of the children represented on a Salvation Army tree; caroling at a nursing home; raking leaves or shoveling snow for an elderly neighbor; making Christmas cards for hospital bound kids; putting together a care package for someone who serves in the military. Note that some of these might actually need to be done well in advance of the Christmas season, to get to their destinations in time. However, do the activity on time, and then use that day, in discussion and reflection, during your 12 day emphasis.
3. There are different charities operating, and collecting funds and materials during the Christmas season. 12 Days of Donating can be your focus, with kids collecting their coins for bell ringers, collecting canned goods for food pantries, or collecting personal care items for veterans' centers. You can emphasize a different cause each day, or spend 12 days collecting for one organization. Put a number of ideas on small pieces of paper, and let the kids draw from a basket or jar, each day's focus. You can adapt in many ways, to suit your time and resources. Let the kids brainstorm, and help in coming up with some ideas.
