As a child I loved Christmas but the older I get the more I find it all far too commercialised. I hate the fact that the Christmas stock starts appearing in September and that I'm already sick of hearing the same 10 Christmas songs....bah humbug!!!! Obviously with having Chick I have to do Christmas and I find myself buying into the very commercialism that I hate to give her the Christmas she wants.
Last year for the first time I bought Chick a present from Oxfam which actually wasn't for her. It was a safe water card that paid for 8 or 10 people to receive clean water. It didn't cost much maybe £10 or something but I felt that it was important for her to think about others amongst the piles of commercial stuff she got. I think that she was a bit bemused by it but I explained my thinking behind it and she's been a convert ever since and has even suggested that we buy something similar this year for a few folk on our Christmas list.
A few weeks ago I was invited to attend a briefing day about a new range Oxfam has launched this year especially aimed at Children and young philanthropists called Oxfam Unwrapped. According to their research 71% of Parents think that Christmas is a time of year when their kids should think of others but I wonder how many actually do something other than think about it?
Gifts from the Oxfam Unwrapped range include Educate a child (£30), Desk and chair set (£21), Give girls a head start (£17) and Playtime (£7). With each gift purchased your child receives and activity book or a gift card that explains all about the good that their present is doing.
For more information please click on the image of the desk & chair set below or the Oxfam logo. Gifts start from only £5 so why not think about adding one to your Christmas shopping list and help someone get a life changing gift rather than something that will sit in a cupboard!!
