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4 Friday, November 17, 2017 brooklintowncrier.com WORSHIP DIRECTORY WORSHIP DIRECTORY Burns Presbyterian Church 765 Myrtle Rd West (just 4 minutes north of Brooklin) 10am Worship, Kids Zone Fun & Nursery Care "Discovering God, Sharing God's Love" 905.655.8509 www.Burnschurch.org St. Thomas' Anglican Church 101 Winchester Road East Sunday Services: 8:30 and 10:30 am Sunday School & Nursery Program (10:30am) Wednesday 10:00 a.m. Communion and Healing Service 905-655-3883 www.stthomasbrooklin.ca Brooklin United Church 19 Cassels Rd. E. Sunday Services at 10:30 am Sunday School & Nursery Care www.brooklinunited.ca 905-655-4141 Come catch the Spirit! Renaissance Baptist Church of Brooklin 40 Vipond Road (Just West Of Library) Sunday Worship & Kids Program 10:30 a.m. 905-655-4554 www.brooklinrbc.ca We're here for Brooklin! Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown A Brooklin Toddler's Random Thoughts "My grandma says I'm growing and growing. My grandma is right." A couple of years ago, my daughter and some of her friends participated in a Secret Santa gift exchange. Organized by the parents, the intent was for a little bit of fun among the kids. It would allow each one to get a gift without the huge expense for parents. The children picked names and my daughter chose a gift in the $25 agreed upon price point and even helped wrap it. She was excited about seeing her friend open the gift. On the day of the exchange, each child found their gift and they opened them at the same time. As wrapping paper flew, moms snapped photos. Then came the wail when one child did not like his gift. There was also one who got a toy the others wanted. Some gifts were discarded on the floor. Shortly after, the kids got into squabbles over who got the better gift. As I drove home, with my daughter in the back seat happily clutching her new toy, I recalled similar events I'd attended. While great in theory, these always seems to end up with someone leaving disappointed. I've even been to a couple where one guest "accidently" forgot their unwanted gift as they left. For kids, getting a present is a huge deal. So when they receive a gift which isn't what they imagined, they're quick to show disappointment. But does that mean you should drop the tradition? Not necessarily. Here are ideas to keep your Secret Santa exchange going smoothly. Consider their age. Those eight and older are much better at graciously receiving gifts compared with, say, a three year old. With younger children, a better way to do it is for the parents to pick the name for the child and buy the gift. Have Santa distribute the packages. It's hard to dispute gift choices with the "big guy" when you know he might still leave a few things under your tree. Make Secret Santa less of a secret. I once attended a Secret Santa where they asked participants to share a list of three things they would like to receive. The gift buyer then simply picked something off the list and could feel confident the child receiving the gift would be delighted. Parents can help Santa. If you want to make it really easy, each parent buys a gift for their child and brings it to the party. That way you know your child will like the gift and you can avoid receiving duplicates. Everyone gets the same thing. This is great for teams or other activity groups. My daughter's hockey team tossed around the idea of a gift exchange but decided instead on a team themed gift where every player got the same thing. Typically this is something to be added to the team uniform or used in the activity. It's a lovely way to continue the the activity, aside from it being a great equalizer. Buy gifts for others. The ultimate gift giving idea is to buy something for children less fortunate. Our children get so much, so why not skip the Secret Santa altogether and have them buy a toy to give away or put together a charity package. Whatever you decide, the real message behind Secret Santa is about giving to others. Isn't that a big part of what the season is all about? Kids and Secret Santa: A good idea? Community Calendar If you have a community not-for-profit event you would like included in the calendar, please email it to editorofBTC@gmail.com with the subject line "calendar." Priority will be given to Brooklin events. Some editing may occur. Saturday, November 18: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm Trafalgar Castle School annual charity Castle Bazaar Student art, wonderful holiday gift items, a Tea Room, interactive food stations, silent auction and local vendors with unique one-of-a-kind gifts. Free admission. 401 Reynolds Street Whitby Parking is available in the north lot by the tennis courts or along the school's front lawn. Sun., Nov. 26: 7:00 pm: Brooklin Pub Quiz Night $15 per person for a team of 4-8. Teams of 6 are best. Team gets a platter of wings and fries and mug of beer. Winning team receives a $10 gift certificate per person for the Brooklin Pub. All proceeds to Pulmonary Hypertension of Canada. Hints: 1. Nile 2. Moai Fri., Nov. 24: 4:00 - 5:00 pm (4th Friday of each month) Teen Leadership Council at Brooklin Library Whitby Library's Brooklin Branch seeks Teen Leadership Council members to share ideas & assist with special events and programs. Grade 9-12 students earn community service hours. Snacks provided. No registration required. For information, email teenservices@whitbylibrary.ca. Mondays: 6:30-7 pm: French Family Storytime: Children and their caregivers can join Madame Sue for weekly French Family Storytime! A half hour of French stories and songs, with a dash of English! Drop in at Central Library's Children's Program Room Tuesdays: 7:25 pm: Brooklin Toastmasters Club Practice public speaking at Brooklin Community Centre & Library. Contact John Johnstone at jajhj@sympatico.ca or phone 905-683-4439 or Patricia Romano at promano257@outlook.com or phone 905-626-7055. 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Community Care Durham (CCD) Basic Foot Care at St. Thomas' Anglican Church. 905-668-6779 Mon.-Fri. CCD delivers hot or frozen meals. To order: Karen Andrews 905-668-6779