24 November 26, 2014 2014 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com
Should it be a surprise?
A surprise gift at Christmas can lead to
two reactions. The recipient will sit in
shock or make that crooked kind-of-
half smile and say “Thank you” with an
upward inflection.
The latter is definitely not an appropriate
reaction to having a new four-legged
member of the family. This is especially
true if the child has never said anything
about wanting a pet or if they have
interacted with an animal before. While
adults may think a puppy licking their face
is cute, a child may have no idea how to
react.
“I firmly believe that a child should be
part of the choosing process; especially if
the pet is to be the child’s,” says Stevens.
A pet for Christmas may sound like a good
idea, and for many families it certainly
can work itself out in the long run. But do
yourself a favor and be sure everyone is
ready before hand.
Now, has anyone seen the cat? He’s
probably stuck in the Christmas tree again.
The Christmas Curmudgeon, aka
Derek Hurley
