One of my favorite things about having a 2-year-old is the ability to experience the world through her eyes. Raelynn can be quite the exquisite little one. So at every opportunity, I try to break things down to her in ways that stick. I’ve given a lot of thought to this Holiday season. It’s important to me that she understands Christmas is more than receiving gifts. Even at the precious age of 2-years-old, I want her to know what Christ expects us to do as Christians; to love God with all of our hearts and to love His people. So while looking for books to convey this message, I stumbled across The Giving Manger!
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength: The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.
Mark 12:30-31 (NLT)
So while looking for books to convey this message, I stumbled across The Giving Manger!
What is it?
The main idea of The Giving Manger is to exchange acts of kindness for pieces of straw. So by the time Christmas rolls around, the manger should be stuffed with enough hay to lay the Jesus figurine in the manger. I’m hoping this will not only reiterate the nativity story for Raelynn but also teach her about the importance of giving.
Our household is the epitome of the November 1st buddy the elf meme. If I’m being honest, we really start celebrating in October considering we don’t really celebrate Halloween LOL! So, I plan on starting this tradition now but to be honest, you can really start anytime before Christmas. If you’re looking for ideas I compiled this list in addition to my 20 random acts of kindness list to help! I’m also thinking about putting all these ideas in a jar and randomly pulling out ideas to keep it super interesting.
Giving Manger Kindness Ideas
- Sponsor a child through the Angel Tree organization- This is something my mama did with me every single year through our church growing up. We would shop and pick out Christmas gifts for other children around my age.
- Drop grocery gift card off to a neighbors house
- Give a neighbor prepackaged goods w/ a homemade Christmas card
- Have your little one “serve” and “cook” breakfast for the house
- Participate in a chore at grandmas (or any family members) house
- Participate in a chore that you’re not usually responsible for in your own house
- Leave flowers on someone’s car in the parking lot with a sweet letter- I actually saw this on the giving manger’s IG account and thought it was super cute!
- Deliver Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner to someone you know who may be spending the holidays alone- I would traditionally say invite them over but I know that may be a difficult decision for those still concerned about the pandemic, but if you’re comfortable with the idea I would suggest shooting for inviting them!
- Host a Disney+ movie night (you can do this socially distanced style by using the group watch feature)- You can even prime your guest their favorite movie snack!
- Drop a Ponsietta off at a loved one’s house- So, this is another tradition I picked up from my own mama
- Buy groceries for a food pantry
- Pack an Operation Christmas Child shoebox
- Create a care package for mailman and delivery man- I can’t help but think about how much busier it’ll get in the middle of a pandemic during the holiday season
- Think of your favorite holiday tradition and gift it to a stranger!- This may seem random but I got this idea from a stranger that gifted Raelynn a Disney balloon and lollipop last year in memory of her loved one. I’m thinking about gifting a family an “Elf on the shelf” or “Giving Manger”. Maybe you could gift an ornament or favorite Christmas book!
- Round up prayer request and pray for others- So simple yet so impactful
- Put up Christmas decoration for someone who may not be able to
- Gift your local emergency room workers or first responders Thank You cards and maybe even a prepackaged treat!
- Asking someone in need of help at the grocery store unloading their groceries
- Buy someone coffee (or tea/hot chocolate)
- Give a compliment to a stranger
- Call and check on someone you hadn’t heard from in a while
- Leave a sweet message in chalk in your driveway— This is another idea I saw on the giving manger’s IG page.
- Order donuts for your coworkers
- Round up gently used toys your little one no longer plays with to donate
- Round up gently used clothes to donate
- Have a little one help with harder household chores
- Send an encouraging message to a friend
- Gift a family an Advent Devotion— This year we plan on using The Advent Storybook by Laura Richie
- Buy breakfast (or gift a gift card) to your childcare provider or nanny
- Have your little pass out candy canes to other kids around the store!
Some of these ideas are duplicated from my last acts of kindness post but I added a handful of acts you can include your little one in on! Now that Raelynn is a little older, I’m super excited to explain more of the “why” when it comes to celebrating Christmas this year. It’s almost as if each year with her keeps getting sweeter and sweeter.
If you plan on participating in this tradition with me, let me know! I’d love to hear about any additional ideas you all come up with!
XO
Michelle
[…] Since having Raelynn, Christmas has become easier and easier to celebrate. I just love the joy new traditions and experiences give her. This year, I wanted to knock out the gift side of things early so that […]