Here is some news from the New York Times published on December 22, 2012. While it might seem like it is left over from this past Christmas season, it is too important to be left behind!

The article called The War Against Too Much of Everything by Jeff Sommer tells us to learn from those hectic holiday buying days and do whatever we can to re-focus children.

There is no better time than the present (no pun intended) to start. Here are a few ideas that were suggested that can help you and your children begin the new year in a whole new way.

*  Buy what you and your family “need.”

*  Do not use shopping as a “treat.”

*  Avoid shopping as “solace” or as a “sedative.”

Kalle Lasn, maestro of Adbusters Magazine, says “As our planet gets warmer, as the humans get sicker, as our economies bail and our politicians grow ever more twisted, Americans just go shopping.”

Going a long with Lasn’s idea of a “Buy Nothing Christmas,” I encourage you to enjoy a year of meaningful and rewarding shopping and make Christmas into an opportunity for giving time, energy, and affection to others. Turn it into a real opportunity to spread the original concept of “Peace on earth and Good Will toward man.”

Fighting Violence!

When we set up our children as constant receivers, we get them used to thinking that they need more and more. Then if they do not always get a lot, they can become naturally disappointed and even frustrated. Needless to say, aggression could become a logical next step.