 Manners Matter
What do you want for Christmas?
Q. I have a big Christmas wish list. How can I make sure I get the things I want? Greedy Gary
A. Dear Greedy Gary,
I bet you have been asked already, "What do you want for Christmas?" How did you answer? Did you start naming off the complete inventory of Toys-r-Us? Sometimes it is hard to keep yourself from blurting out your whole want list to anyone and everyone who will listen; however, you should be aware of exactly why someone might be asking you that question: It is to make his or her job of gift giving a little easier. It is not, however, an invitation to be greedy.
A proper and thoughtful response to that question would be in general terms. For
example, you might say, "I like music or clothes for my Barbie dolls, but anything is fine. Thank you for asking."
An experienced gift-giving adult might ask a specific question about what you would like. These savvy shoppers might ask, "Jennifer, do you like Barbie dolls as much as my Sarah?" or "Do you have the new Princess DVD?" When an adult asks you a direct question, rather than "What do you want for Christmas?" they can find something that is in their specific price range, but if they don't ask you a specific question, it is up to you to come up with an answer that is considerate.
Be mindful of these tips, especially if someone outside of your immediate family asks you about your want-list: Your parents' friends are not going to be able to spend the same on you that they spend on their own children. As a mannerly young person, it is your job to let them know that whatever they pick out for you will be very much appreciated. If, for
example, a friend's parent asks what you would like for Christmas, you might say, "I like Pokemon." With that, the parent has a wide choice of price ranges, all the way from trading cards up to game cartridges.
Try to remember that it is no fun for people to give you presents if they have an underlying feeling of obligation or resentment because they felt as though you wanted something more expensive than they could afford to give you. Giving should be all about happiness.
Truman and Mrs. Susan Fleming will be glad to answer your questions on manners and etiquette. Susan Fleming is a home economist, editor and lifestyle writer, specializing in the areas of entertaining and children's etiquette. E-mail your question to manners@kidsvillenews.com. If we use your question in the publication, you will receive a Kidsville News! t-shirt!
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