Merry Christmas to all from Wyatt the Wonder Dog and Lynne!

Merry Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the land,

Wyatt and friends were feeling quite grand.

They’d learned quite a bit about its meaning you see---

For the spirit of Christmas is generosity.

Wyatt used to think Christmas was all about things;

Presents and toys, electronics that ding.

But now he knows Christmas is giving and sharing,

It’s not about getting, but helping and caring.

So Wyatt wishes you a Christmas of love,

One filled full of joy and grace from above!!

 

A Very Merry Christmas from Lynne and Wyatt!

 

The Five Love Languages of Christmas

The holiday season is almost upon us and as usual there is a lot of discussion about gifts. A big dilemma for me when my children were little was what to get them and how much to get them. The lists they gave me seemed endless and changed continually, depending on the current toy being advertised on television. Just when I thought I had a plan, the number one gift suddenly plummeted to number twenty and something new was number one. I was frustrated and bewildered.

What Message Are We Sharing with Our Children? 

Christmas can be a time of blessing our children or spoiling our children. It's hard to draw the line as to when blessing becomes over indulging but many adults would agree that children today in many households are growing up with a sense of entitlement rather than a sense of empowerment and responsibility. Here are some messages that gift giving can communicate:

• the way to demonstrate love is through things
• the way to make up for parenting neglect is through things
• the way to manipulate children into behaving is through providing things
• the path to happiness is accumulating things

Notice how the word thing is in every sentence?  Learning to give and receive is an important part of the holiday.  Making sure that things don't become the focus of Christmas is important.

Recognizing the Five Love Languages

Recognizing our children's personality or temperament is one way to give positive messages throughout the year but especially at Christmas. As parents we connect best with our children when  we speak to them through the five love languages. They are:

• Words of affirmation--Could you write your child a Christmas letter that expresses gratitude for all their unique qualities?
• Acts of service--Could you share a service project together? It could be something that helps the community, family members or even the world.
• Receiving gifts--We all focus on this one at Christmas! One suggestion for managing this aspect of Christmas is to buy your child three gifts: one gift that the child wants, one that they need and one that is a surprise. I think this suggestion is fabulous and it covers all the possibilities. It has an element of fun, an element of practicality or educational value and it also gives the child a choice but forces some prioritizing of items.
• Quality time--Could your gift be spending some special time enjoying a particular activity together?  Could you make some family memories?
• Physical touch--Hopefully this is a part of every day but a gift could focus on a relaxing back rub before bed or an evening of snuggling in front of a movie as a family.

Teaching children to become other-focused rather than self-centered and me-focused is an important step in making sure that our children grow up to be caring compassionate adults. There are many ways to encourage this in our children, but Christmas is a season especially rich in opportunities to bless our children.

Looking for a great book to help you understand the five love languages and how they can relate to children? Check it out here:




Looking for a great book to help children understand the difference between getting and giving?  Check out:

True Story: First Edition of Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving Goes for $1,000.00!!

Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving

It's true... one of the first copies of Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving went for $1,000.00!  Here's the scoop:  One of the teachers at my school rewards her students for good behavior with "dollars"  they can add to their  "bank account".  It might be $10.00 for following directions or $15.00 for turning in an assignment on time.  Each student keeps up with their mounting bank account (some good math practice is going on here) and at the end of a grading period there is a much anticipated auction where students can spend their "money" by bidding on various items.  There is lots to choose from: candy and toys, books and stuffed animals. One of the items in the auction this week was a copy of Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving.  Guess what the book went for?  $1,000.00!!  My friend Daniel was the winner and is pictured below:



The Story Behind Wyatt the Wonder Dog

In a society where a feeling of entitlement is commonplace, it is refreshing to meet children and adults who express gratitude and generosity. When I began writing the story, Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving, I wanted to help children understand the power of being generous and giving, no matter their age or economic status. Some of the most generous people are not necessarily the wealthiest. Mother Teresa or Nelson Mandela are examples of people who have given their lives in service to others.

When Wyatt's story begins, he is concerned about how long he has to wait until Christmas and what gifts he will receive. However, by the end of the story, Wyatt understands that his ability to be giving to others is a more important concern. It really is more blessed to give than to receive!

Three Concepts to Learn about Generosity

Developing the trait of generosity and kindness is something that can be started early in small ways and then developed into bigger projects as children grow.  Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving   teaches the following concepts:

• Kindness and generosity can be something very small, such as letting someone go first in line. We all have opportunities to be kind and generous daily.
• Kindness and generosity encourages kindness and generosity. When we are kind and generous it begins a never ending spiral of similar acts.
• Everyone, no matter their age or finances can be generous. 

There Are Bonuses!!

Beginning Sunday, October 20 through Sunday October 27th, Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving will be discounted on Amazon.  In addition, every book is loaded with bonuses.

There is a link to an audio file of Neil Scott-Barbour--The British Voice Talent,  reading the story. This audio is a real gem!  Neil reads the story with an engaging and compelling voice.  His rendition of Wyatt is classic.  Each book includes the following additional bonuses:

• discussion questions
• directions for creating a paper chain Christmas countdown
• information on therapy dogs, which are models of generosity
• a template for a Christmas coupon book 
• coloring sheet

Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving is available in both paperback and Kindle formats. 

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New Wyatt the Wonder Dog Book Coming Soon!!

It may be summertime but Wyatt the Wonder Dog and friends are hard at work producing his newest book, Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns About Giving.  In the picture above you can see myself, Sammy Sudbury, our book layout expert and Pam Gardner, the illustrator pouring over the new edition.  Every book gets better and better and this one promises to be the best one yet!

 

Wyatt is always wondering about something and in this story, he is wondering what he  will receive for Christmas.  Wyatt's wise mother suggests he needs to learn the meaning of the word, generosity and instead wonder  what he will give others for Christmas.  By the end of the story Wyatt has not only learned the meaning of generosity, but he has also discovered many ways that others give of their time and talents. The book features not only Wyatt and but our very own, Lacy the therapy dog who regularly visits Sixes Elementary. 

As we get closer to publication date, I will be sending out regular updates.  Join the Wyatt the Wonder Dog facebook page to stay informed.  Be on the lookout for a free download that will include an audio recording of the book!  I can't wait to share Wyatt's newest adventure with you!!

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What Does It Mean To Be Generous?

It's the season of giving and I love using this theme in my guidance lessons this month.  In one class, we have watched videos of students who have given back to the community by providing gifts for foster children and another video of a student who as a cancer survivor, regularly visits other children in the hospital who are facing cancer treatment.  We have read a book or two about children who have used their birthday parties to collect food for pets at the local pet shelter.  Students of course have their own personal stories of giving and I like to involve them in thinking about and planning times to be generous to others all through the year.  We finish the lessons with a writing exercise where students answer two questions.  When was a time that you were generous to someone else?  What can you do to be generous in the future?  There are lots of creative and thoughtful answers with everything from helping endangered species to walking an elderly person across the street.  Of course there are always a few that crack me up... Here's my favorite:  Answer to the first question:  Once I gave my mom a flower for mother's day.  Answer to question number two:  I can get a luxury car for my mom.  I'm thinking, I'm signing up to be that kid's mom...

Developing the notion of generosity however is an important antidote to the natural self-centeredness of the typical child.  It is something that can be started early in small ways and then developed into bigger projects as the child grows. Too many children in this country (and adults for that matter) are insulated from the inequalties, the hardship in the world. Developing service projects as whole families is one way to overcome this. Determining the child's interests and concerns and then finding ways to serve in those areas is the best way to get cooperation. Taking into consideration the personality of the family members involved (as in all family projects) is critical as well.  Some children are better at being the leader while others are less likely to take on a leadership role but are quite dedicated workers. Age is of course a factor as well but even young children can learn to give food, toys or clothing to those in need. The best and most life changing service however, is service that involves giving of more than our excess. It involves giving something more substantional such as spending a Saturday morning in a soup kitchen for the homeless, or volunteering in a nursing home to visit with residents who have no family. It's cleaning up a park or helping out at an animal shelter. Service that moves us out of our comfort zone and challenges us to make a difference in the world develops children and ultimately adults, of compassion and character.

I'm a big Dave Ramsey fan and love all of his children's books!  Here's a good one for children on the imprtance of giving: