With the holidays upon us, we look for that perfect gift to give our children. What special present will bring squeals of delight on Christmas morning an American Girl doll, Legos, a drum set, an iPad Pro?
Giving gifts can be great fun for both child and parent, but we must never lose sight of what children need more than anything else in the world. And that has virtually nothing to do with materialism; little to do with toys; and money just isn’t that important.
More than anything, children need the love and affection of the adults around them. It has been proven that babies, left in their cribs without being held, hugged or cuddled, do not do well physically. When someone picks them up and gives them love, their health improves almost instantly. When one says, Love heals, it is far from being hype.
Love is a cure for loneliness, sorrow or grief and carries no negativity whatsoever. Educator and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard stated it beautifully when he said, Affection could no more spoil a child than the sun could be put out by a bucket of gasoline.
Indeed, love may be the greatest gift on earth. And you show that love to a child by talking with him, listening to him (really listening to him) and understanding his viewpoint. Children need all the love and understanding they can get.
The more you love a child, the more he will love you back. We’re talking about an every day of the year commitment. The perfect gift, the one that stands above all others, is a show of great affection day after day after day.
Wishing “The Perfect Gift” to parents and children worldwide!
With love,
Executives and Staff,
Applied Scholastics Online Academy
