Guilty Christmas

At Christmastime in 2011 15.5 million children were living in poverty. That is one out of five.

We have been sitting around the last week or so watching Christmas specials. Heart warming stories of children celebrating Christmas, opening gifts in bright colored paper and eating tasty feasts. All these happy images broadcast out to the world to anyone who has a TV (and possibly cable).
Knowing that Elsa is going to have a bountiful holiday, I just got a little sad for the children who will not. So many children in the world who see these images and will not experience the joy of the season like Elsa will. There is a part of me that says we shouldn't show this type of stuff on TV, because it will make an already depressing situation even more heartbreaking for these children. I want to protect them from the disappointment and sadness when santa doesn't come to them. But I can't.

Maybe next year or the following year we will start a tradition with Elsa where she will pick out a gift to give to a needy child. When she is even older it might be nice to set up a piggy bank for charity too.

Article: How to talk to your Children about Poverty