| Unofficial Website of Ms. Janice de Belen |
| Janice de Belen braces her kids for the too-many gifts |
| For actress and TV host Janice de Belen, 34, Christmas is a time for family. She's not forgetting this despite a grueling schedule that includes two TV shows, Sis and S Files on GMA-7; Psychology freshman classes at the Ateneo de Manila University; and five kids that she raises solo. Good thing that bonding for this family doesn't require too much. "Sometimes we just lie down and make kuwento. Once a week we go out, or watch DVDs together."During Christmas, however, she pays extra-special attention to curbing the materialism that the season can breed in her kids. "Christmas should not just he about gifts. It should be about the spirit of family and remembering what really happened on that day. I want my kids to learn to share because it's a celebration of love." Here's a sampling of how that's done: 1. Practice it the whole year. Janice is not the kind of mom who gives in to her kids' every whim. "If there is something first if they really need or deserve it." Her children, she proudly shares, have picked up her lessons well. "now we can just go to a mall and just buy food and they would be okay with that. Kung mag-tantrums sila sa mall, I let them. But they're usually well behaved." 2. If you're going to buy them things, make sure it's something good. For Janice's kids, that's stuff to be found in the bookstores. "I indulge them in books. Okay 'yun sa akin kasi ako, mahilig ako magbasa." 3. Months before Christmas, Janice asks her kids to list down three things they want from Santa. This doesn't mean they'll get them, as Santa has to see if they've been naughty or nice. One time there were no brightly wrapped boxes under the tree. What the children got instead was a letter saying that they already have enough, and the gifts would instead go on needy kids. 4. When the children will be receiving presents, their determined mom sees to it that they don't get any other gift beginning September. "Para hindi sila masanay na lagi silang may natatanggap. I make them realize that they don't need." 5. Be frugal. What if toy-buying is an urgent a movie steeped in merchandising? To this Janice says. "Doon sa mga promo toys sa McDo na lang muna sila!" Good |
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