Though every family has its own way of celebrating the Christmas holiday, Santa Claus seems to be a part of every young child's perfect Christmas. He's such an innate part of our holiday culture, it's impossible for little ones, today, to avoid learning about Santa's flying sleigh and his midnight visit to the chimney. Still, some parents worry that placing too much emphasis on what Santa will leave under the tree encourages greediness in their children. But many parents forget that, at its root, the Santa Claus legend is also about rewarding goodness and good behavior. If he "knows when you've been bad or good", as the song says, then it benefits a child to "be good, for goodness' sake". That goodness will bring reward, in the form of a wonderful and fulfilling Christmas morning.

No matter how frustrating it may be, at times, to raise a child, and despite what parents may come to believe, being good and being nice come naturally to most children. Most children have naturally strong empathy, and if they feel safe and secure, they want to provide that kind of comfort to others, whenever they can. You can see this desire, when even a toddler becomes upset at the sight of another child in distress. If parents learn to recognize and nurture these tendencies, they can help their kids develop lifelong habits of generosity and compassion. It can begin as simply as encouraging a child who follows a parent around, wanting to "help" as the parent works, and allowing the child to actually help.

Being helpful can become second nature to a child. Christmastime is the perfect season to bolster and help build these feelings in a child. It's a great time for children to begin to learn that they have a lot to offer the world outside their immediate family, and that they can have an impact on the lives of people they may not even know, or know well. In fact, Christmas is the perfect season to involve the whole family in voluntary activities that benefit others.

Something as simple as a family outing, picking up neighborhood litter, is a great way to start. Maybe an elderly neighbor needs leaves raked, or food delivered. Or maybe you know an invalid who would appreciate some Christmas carols sung. These are all activities that are easy, unintimidating, and are guaranteed to be appreciated. Then, as your child grows, volunteering can expand and become more organized, possibly with a church or civic group.

Christmas is about caring, compassion, and love. It's a wonderful time for a child to learn the value of volunteerism. It's a wonderful time to develop habits of compassion which will last a lifetime.

Brought to you by Imaginary Greetings, a regular contributor of useful family oriented content. To positively brighten your child's eyes this Christmas season, create a letter from Santa.