How Can I make Christmas Better for my children?

Question

My children are ages 6, 3, and 7 weeks. 3 weeks after i had my baby, my husband had to have surgery to remove his appendix. Just this last Monday, I had to have my gall bladder taken out. Because of all the mounting bills, I don't think we will have much money to spend on Christmas this year. Does anyone know where I can go in Arkansas to get assistance? Thank you.

Answer 1

Many churches help out, and also try the Salvation Army they have a angel tree program you can sign the kids up for gifts and for food for your family, also ask about programs at your child's school some have Christmas gift giving programs, also as at the WIC office they also have a Christmas gift and food program, and at most hospitals each unit buys for a family, food and gifts. There is a lot of help but it goes rather quickly so apply now. God Bless You and your family and have A Very Merry Christmas. You are all in our prayers.

Answer 2

Christmas?

Answer 3

Hi,
I used to work in an elementary school and also in a middle school.
I met lots of children who for one reason or another came from families that were down on their luck for the holidays.
I checked with both of the secretaries who work in the school office of the 2 schools and they both told me that the local town municipal building usually has a tree set up.
On this tree is a child's name and age (only the child's first name is listed) and the size clothing that the child wears.
You then take the child's name off the tree and buy that child a gift (using the age and size as a buying guide).
After you buy the gift (do not wrap it) you bring it to the municipal building with the childs name attached to it and then the gift gets distributed to the child in time for Christmas.
Perhaps you may want to see if they have something like this in your school system or check with your local municipal building. Good luck and Happy Holidays to you and your family.

Answer 4

Your children are very young still and only your oldest one is at the stage of beginning to understand what things like Christmas is all about. Young children are very loving and accepting of things and I believe that anything you present them with will be accepted with wonder and joy. Have you ever watched a young child open up a gift wrapped box and notice the wide eyes eager to see what is under the wrapping paper? Have you also ever noticed that children are happier playing with the empty boxes more than what came in them? These things I have witnessed many times in my lifetime. Also, the things that hold the warmest memories for me as a child was the things that I participated in with my family such as: adding sprinkles to the cookies that my mom just baked or tying little ribbon to the sticks of candied apples, or putting frosting on the cupcakes, making popcorn garland and helping to hang it, cutting out shapes of christmas stockings from construction paper and putting names on each one then hanging them somewhere, etc. All warm and wonderful memories that have lasted me a lifetime.

Answer 5

Usually the church is the best place. Do you have salvation army there? They are very helpful to people in Australia.

I have kids around your childrens age and I find they love some simple things we do at Christmas such as baking christmas cookies. We go to church on christmas morning and also look for any local events such as carols by candlelight etc that are free and create wonderful family traditions. Kids this age are also delighted to make hand made cards for other family members.

Make your children aware of the real reason for christmas - the wonderful gift that God gave all people by sending Jesus to save us from our sins. This is the greatest gift you can ever give them.

Answer 6

I I don't know where you can go, but I do know what would be fun for your 6 and 3 year old! Do a scavenger hunt to get to a present. Hide the gift somewhere in the house. put up little clues that will lead them to it! They will have a blast, in fact just tonight when I was babysitting twin 4yr olds I did a scavenger hunt for candy and they thought it was the most fun thing ever! Try it! As for the assistance, I can't help you but Good Luck and god bless

Answer 7

I agree with going to your local church for answers, I'm sure they would love to help.
There are other ways to make it special too. Make homemade decorations and cookies. Make a birthday cake for Jesus and remember His humble entrance into life, in a barn, laying in an animal trough.
One year, when we were pretty bad off, I tried to cheer everyone up, so I invented a fun game. I took myself, my husband and my two stepsons (and our baby too) to our local dollar store. I split $20.00 between the four of us which gave us all enough to buy one present for each person including the baby. But, we had to split up and try to keep everything a secret. No one could know what the other was buying. It was fun!!!! My husband got me something that I still have and will always treasure....I had always wanted to go on a sleigh ride, and knowing we couldn't, he bought me a resin miniature horse drawn sleigh with dickens characters in it that go along with those lighted villages. I thought it was so sweet of him, and I put it out every year.
Even though you are going through a hard time now, you can do things that are special and that you all will remember and cherish always. My stepsons still remember and talk about that night.

God Bless you and have a Merry Christmas!!!!!

Answer 8

Christmas shouldn't be about SPENDING MONEY or GIVING PRESENTS. it's about the gift of love - why don't you start a good holiday tradition by teaching your children that a loving family is more important than having the latest game or toy. Why don't you start by cutting back on their TV watching, so they aren't bombarded with toy ads and the idea that xmas is about presents - and start teaching them that things like love, a roof over their head, food on the table, education, acceptance and respect are what is really important at Christmas and ALL YEAR.

Answer 9

You should get intouch with the people who do the Angel Tree. Each child would be an "angel" on the tree, and families, organizations, shop for the child.... I'm not sure what the name of the organization is, but I believe yes.. here is info
Thank you to the community for supporting this project and making Christmas 2004 a happy one for many area children. Look on this page later this year for information on Angel Tree 2005.

Angel Tree is a project of the Junior League of North Little Rock, in partnership with the Salvation Army. Families in need may apply to the Salvation Army for their children to be included. Each child is represented by an angel at trees in various locations in the area. The League and community volunteers staff the tree at McCain Mall in North Little Rock and help with the application process and distribution of gifts when Angel Tree is completed.

Angels are chosen by members of the community as individuals or groups, such as businesses, church groups, civic organizations, etc. The child's wants and needs for Christmas are listed on his/her angel and the person or group that adopts the angel provides the Christmas gifts for that child. Gifts are brought back to the location where the angel was chosen.

Applications for families to participate in Angel Tree are taken in Oct. and Nov. Contact the Salvation Army for more information.

Thank you to all those who adopted an angel in 2004 and helped make a child's Christmas brighter! Please join with us to make Christmas 2005 a wonderful one for children in our community, either by helping provide gifts for children and/or providing volunteer hours. Check back in the fall for more information.

Answer 10

Now you know why I hate Christmas. For businesses it's about making money, for children it's about getting loot, and for parents it's about stress, guilt and debt. Some people had some great ideas for you, and I wish you a good Christmas and a much better new year! Personally, we don't do the gift thing at all, but what works in our family doesn't work in others, so I won't give you that advice.