Community Corner

How Do You Balance Greed and Gifts?

Consumerism surrounds the holiday season: is greed inevitable, and how do you avoid it?

For those children who celebrate, Christmas' biggest connotation can be a pile of gifts under the tree.

With this in mind, a panel of staff contributors at The Chicago Tribune tackled the question of whether it's inevitable to see greed in their kids around Christmastime. The parents weighed in on suggestions to remind kids of Christmas spirit.

Among their suggestions? Help your kids round up some old toys to donate to charity before giving them new toys. Sign them up to participate in a community service project.

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The Tribune's advice got us thinking at Patch about how we were taught or are teaching our kids to be less greedy around the holidays. Some of our suggestions? Find a giving tree and let your child pick a name or two off of it, and take them shopping for presents. As part of your son or daughter's Christmas gift, allot some money to a charity of their choice.

What's your advice to fend off the sometimes inevitable Christmas greed? Tell us in the comments.

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