Up until a few years ago, I had a dilemma concerning sibling gifts. I wanted my children to know the joy of giving to their siblings, but I had a terrible time trying to figure out how to work out the shopping trips with each kid alone and control the cost of the gifts. I read in a magazine how one mom set up Mom’s Store every Christmas with low-cost objects she had been collecting throughout the year that she knew would interest her children. She would designate a place in her room as Mom’s Store, set out a number of items appropriate to one child, and then would bring in one child at a time to “buy” a gift from that selection for their brother or sister. Then, she cleared those items and prepared to do another round for the next child.

The Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to take some time to consider gifts for siblings. Maybe you want your children to make gifts for each other. Maybe you have a special night when you take each of them shopping alone. Maybe you’d like to try Mom’s Store. Whatever the case, preparation is a priority. You’ll need to be sure you have the materials you need on hand.