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Alamb

Author/Television Reporter

Amanda Lamb is a professional television journalist and author. She covers murder trials by day and reads Dora the Explorer to her children at night. Somewhere in between all of that she writes about those parenting moments that catch each us off-guard in a crazy, chaotic, and wonderful way. Aman...

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What I Need

Amanda Lamb

 “Mommy, I need this!” my four-year-old says pointing to a large easel and paint set in a magazine.  On cue my older daughter points to a karaoke machine on the opposite page:  “I need this!”  She says emphatically.

“The Christmas season always presents challenges when it comes to teaching kids about giving and receiving.  My husband’s cousin came up with a concept several years ago that we have adopted in our family- Santa brings three gifts, period.  She explained this to her children by saying the Wise Men brought baby Jesus three gifts.  It works for me.

We had to come up with something because with the addition of the grandparents gifts our children get way too much.  I even try to steer the grandparents in the direction of things the kids really need rather than things they just think they need because they saw them in a magazine or on television.  This year one of my daughters is getting a new bike because she’s grown about eight inches and can barely ride her old bike.  The other one is getting a “big-girl desk” so she can write and draw in her room.

We do give gifts and food to various charities around this time of the year as well.  I try to enlist my daughters to help me choose things for the families so they can feel like they are a part of this process.

As an adult I can rarely think of anything material that I really need.  I have everything and more, but knowing and understanding this is a wisdom that only comes with age.  Hopefully I can steer my daughters in this direction. 

“Mommy, what do you need?”  My four-year-old asks sincerely.

“Nothing you can buy in a store, Honey,” I say.  “More time and more energy.”  Too bad you can”t get these at Target!