Every year, little children from big cities, small towns, and even remote villages in countries all over the world write letters to Santa Claus, telling him what they would like to find under their tree on Christmas morning. Writing a letter to Santa is one of the joys of childhood, and makes a special memory they will cherish for years to come. Here is a checklist you can use when helping your favorite little ones write the perfect “Dear Santa” letter.

Kids, here is a list for you to follow as you write your “Dear Santa” letter this year:

• Be sure to include your first and last name (middle names are optional), spelled correctly. There may be someone else with your name, but spelled differently, and we don’t want to confuse Santa!

• Tell Santa how you have been good this year. Remember, he knows if you’ve been bad or good but he has a lot of kids to keep up with, so it’s okay to refresh his memory with some details! Did you keep your room clean? Were you nice to your brother or sister? Did you help Mommy cook dinner? Did you bring Daddy his slippers? Did you help grandma find her knitting needles or bring grandpa the Sunday paper? These are all good things to remind Santa of when you write your letter.

• Be sure to mention anything special you did for others this year, too. Did you help your teacher in the classroom? Did you organize a fundraiser for your school? Were you kind to a new student, show them around school, and sit with them at lunch on their first day? Did you offer to help the neighbor rake fall leaves or walk their pet pooch without being asked?

• When telling Santa what you would like for Christmas, be specific but stay flexible. Santa does his best to fulfill every child’s wish, but sometimes even the elves can’t keep up with everything, and Santa’s workshop shelves run out of stock. Decide ahead of time to be happy with your presents, and tell Santa you know he always does his best to make every child happy on Christmas morning.

• Don’t forget to include Santa’s address (it’s The North Pole), your address, and a stamp with proper postage. You don’t want anything to delay delivery of your perfect Dear Santa letter to the man in charge!

Following these tips will help you write the perfect “Dear Santa” letter this year. Parents and grandparents, to help reinforce your tenets of kindness and charity, sharing these tips with your children and grandchildren can lead to a teaching opportunity and reaffirm the spirit and history of Christmas, and even serve as a catalyst for discussions on what they may do in the coming year to be kinder and more charitable.

You can download a free Dear Santa Letter template here.