At Bright Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, we love being part of our community and are honored that you trust us with your children’s smiles. To show our appreciation, we take the time throughout the year to give back to the community through school visits, charitable donations, and volunteer events. The holiday season is a great time to get kids involved in giving back, too.
Teach Kids About Giving Back
When we’re young, the idea of a visit from Santa and gifts under the tree is exciting! New toys, books, games, and more could be waiting for us, and we can’t wait to tear into the beautiful wrapping paper and start playing. But there are many children and families out there who don’t get that same excitement during the holiday season. Take the time to teach your child that giving back is even more important than receiving. Helping others, especially during the holidays, can be even more rewarding than opening a coveted gift on Christmas morning. You can even take the focus off the gifts they’ll be receiving by asking them about what they’re giving (to friends and relatives) rather than what they want to receive as gifts themselves.
Prioritize Family Time & Experiences
Looking back on your most cherished memories, do they revolve around a special toy or a special time? For most of us, the things we look back on fondly have more to do with the people we were with and what we were doing together than with tangible things. Spend the holidays making memories with your children and give back to the community at the same time. Volunteer together at a soup kitchen or with a toy drive in your area. Spend an afternoon Christmas shopping for gifts to give to families staying at Ronald McDonald House instead of their own home for the holidays or to a solider overseas. There are a variety of donation and toy drives in the area that you can help with!
Perform Acts of Kindness
One of our favorite ways to give back is through acts of kindness. This can be something as small as paying for someone’s coffee at Starbucks or as involved as baking cookies to take to a local shelter or nursing home. We all get busy during the holidays, so a helping hand or a sweet treat are often very welcome. You can even pull double duty by encouraging your children to pick out some of their own toys that they no longer play with and take them to a shelter or children’s hospital for donation. This helps you by decluttering a bit and lets your kids take part in a selfless and kind act. Know someone who is going to be alone on Christmas? Invite them over for a nice meal with your family and show your children that giving back can lead to new friendships.
The team at Bright Smiles Pediatric Dentistry hopes your holiday season is merry and bright, and that you find a rewarding way to help others in our community feel that same warmth all season long. When the holidays are over and the sweets are gone, don’t forget to call us or use our online contact form to schedule your child’s next exam and teeth cleaning.