Joe Kelly

Slow down and embrace the holidays with your daughter this year.

You can do it more effectively with time than with money and stuff.

Here, from my book The Dads & Daughters Togetherness Guide: 54 Fun Activities to Help Build a Great Relationship, are 5 more Dads & Daughters Tips for the Holiday season. 

6. Wrap recycled. Use “pre-owned” wrapping paper, newspapers, old maps, and other paper products to wrap your presents. It’s a perfect way to personalize a present, while cutting down on waste (and saving money). See other ideas at http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/wycd/winter.htm.

7. Remember that simple is "in." Polls find that many families are stressed out by of all the Holiday hype. So, you’re not alone when you simplify and focus first on the true Holiday spirit!

8. Give to others. Help your daughter decide on a set amount of money she will give to charitable causes this year. If she’s too young to earn her own money, give her some to donate. Some kids even give donations as a gift to a loved one—“Big Sister, in your honor, I bought a Heifer® International (www.heifer.org) goat for Women in Livestock Development in Kenya.” Or “Dad, to show how much you mean to me, I donated to a charity that serves families in both of our names.”

9. Remember ritual. Repetition of meaningful rituals is an important part of building Holiday traditions and instilling positive Holiday memories for a lifetime. Rituals can include attending religious worship services, having special friends and family for a traditional meal, reading a favorite story every year, making a special Holiday morning breakfast, or anything else that draws you closer to each other. Take pictures to help remember—and be sure that YOU are in some of them!

10. Nurture the Holiday spirit all year. The Holidays remind us what special people we have for children, family members, and friends. Try to remember and cherish that special feeling everyday. We only get one crack at being her dad while she’s a girl. So let’s make the most of it!