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| Jonath’s First Christmas / Cash Gifts on His Left Side |
It’s Christmas time! My son is excited because he has been looking forward to visiting Mom and Dad’s offices. You know how kids are, right? Such curious beings. He always wonders where we go for work five times a week. Although this year, we only brought him at the mister’s office because kids are not allowed in my office and we only had a lunch-break Christmas party. Yeah, I know what you must be thinking now but let’s just focus on the fun part because those are what matters the most during Christmas.
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| Jonath’s First Christmas Giveaway (2012) |
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| Jonath’s first Christmas Gifts |
As a mom, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed and be incredibly grateful for the attention and love they give to my kids whenever they visit, even for just a little while. To all of you who keeps showering my kids’ so much love and blessings, a mother’s eternally thankful heart! Now, you might wonder what I do with all the cash they receive not only from Christmas but also from birthdays and other occasions. Don’t worry because I’m a good steward and I don’t use them for my own shopping. In fact, all the money they receive, every single penny/peso is kept intact in a fund. Where can a parent use his/her kids’ cash gifts or aguinaldo (napamaskuhan)?
Use it to buy that expensive toy your kids have been wanting for so long but you cannot afford to buy by yourself. Examples: LEGO, Barbie’s dollhouse, huge toy cars, and other playsets.
Use it to reward their good grades in school. Use it to treat them in their favorite restaurant or theme parks. Spend it on something they want with your guidance as a parent of course.
Fund their hobbies. Buy them a good camera if they are into photography. Buy them art supplies if they are aspiring artists. Buy them a guitar, a piano or a violin if they are into music. Buy them a pair of good rubber shoes or sports equipment if they are into sports. Use it to enroll them in classes which they are interested in attending to. Fund their annual vacation/travel.
Save if for their future. Open a bank account in their names. Put it in trust funds. Invest it. Make it grow. Get them insurances or educational funds.
In our case, we put it in a mutual fund and not only that, we made a rule to double whatever they receive from these good people. We really try and although sometimes it gets delayed because it gets hard to raise an amount equal to what they receive, we do. I see nothing wrong spending their cash gifts for them. I think it’s wrong though to use it for parents’ personal use. However, if it cannot really be avoided or if the family requirement is too big, I guess it’s okay to borrow just make sure you will repay them. You see, our children’s cash gifts are only entrusted to us. It’s not ours! It’s our kids’ money.
Again, as parents let’s be responsible stewards of our kids’ money. It’s not our money. It’s not a cost replacement (pambawi sa nagastos) because costs of having kids are our responsibility. Thank you again to all who love my kids. Thank you Lord God for putting these wonderful and thoughtful people in our lives, our kids’ lives most especially. To all, advanced Merry Christmas!
