The season of gifting fills kids with excitement, but there are also going to be moments of disappointment. And the thing with kids is, they’re not always the best at keeping their thoughts inside their head.
Learning to gracefully accept a gift, no matter if was on your wish list or not, is an important life skill. The giver may have gone to great lengths to find something they thought your child would like, they may have stretched their budget, or they may just not take kindly to your kid’s truth bombs.
Modern etiquette expert Dianne Gottsman has a golden rule for gift-getting etiquette: Smile and then say “Thank you” after you’ve unwrapped it. She also told HuffPost kids should never feel forced to give affection to the gift giver, nor to put on an act about how amazing their gift is.
Another way to help kids understand the importance of showing gratitude is to get kids involved in shopping for gifts to give the people they care about. That way, they learn how much thought goes into selecting ― what we hope is ― the perfect gift.
And help them to slow down, rather than rip through the gift unwrapping so fast there’s no time to pause and appreciate. Recognize their excitement, then help them take some deep breaths and relax a little ― at least enough to remember their manners and thank the people around them.
Find more expert tips on the art of receiving gifts gratefully in the video above.
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