Christmas, a wonderful, heartwarming time of year is almost upon us. It is less than three weeks away. Is there ever a moment beforehand that we feel ready, even if we’re ahead of the game and feel ready early in December, somehow more things always pile on.
Today, I heard a very thought provoking statement one that . . .
made me stop and wonder. It was this, instead of all the lists and musts we put on ourselves this time of year try and see Christmas through the eyes of our children. Enjoy watching Christmas movies, sliding down hills, looking at beautiful decorations on the tree, driving around to see outdoor Christmas lights, answering questions that arise this time of year and so many more simple activities. Kids do Christmas right. Hearing this does put into perspective, for me, all the different things I try to accomplish with and for my family. Are all of our little traditions necessary? Some bring us immense happiness and joy – those must stay but I can be honest and say there are a few things we could drop in order to have more time relaxing and enjoying the time together. I’m really going to try and ask myself, is this necessary, before going through the trouble of organizing and making it happen. This is going to be developed as my personal goal.
The other Christmas thing that I struggle with is the expectation of presents. The pressure this time of year put on parents can be crushing. No matter how hard I’ve tried, the kids in our house associate Christmas with presents and long lists of stuff. From aunts, uncles, grandparents, parents and of course Santa it can end up being a big haul for many kids at Christmas time, and something they quickly come to expect. This puts so much pressure on parents, and takes away from the heartwarming parts of Christmas. It’s worth a chat with aunts, uncles, grandparents or anyone else who tends to go overboard on your children at Christmas.
Ways to minimize presents or stuff at Christmas
1. In an effort to get away from that I’ve started thinking about doing the often talked about; something they need, something they want, something to read and something to wear. This helps them take the focus off I want, I want, I want and gives us a clear idea of how much to purchase for each child.
2. I’m also explaining the importance of asking Santa for only one or two things. They can ask for one thing that they want from Santa, rather than a long list of expectations. Reminding them that Santa visits all children and helping them narrow down something that they really would like rather than just a whole pile of stuff.
3. Participating in the Angel Tree. This year our family enjoyed purchasing presents for children off of the Angel Tree. It helped us appreciate helping make other people happy during this beautiful season of giving and gave us opportunity to discuss what Christmas is about and how we can lower our wants and needs to instead give back to people in our community.
4. Experiences is another way to move away from presents. Pre-COVID we had stopped doing presents with cousins/aunts and uncles and had been doing an activity together during the Christmas holidays.There are so many great ideas, adventures and activities close by for our children that really, the sky is the limit on this one. From movies, to trampolining, a day pass to a museum, a visit to an indoor pool, a show, skating, skiing, sliding, the possibilities are endless. This is the perfect opportunity to be creative. This is also a great idea for grandparents because often kids will be so excited to be spending time with them that an experience gift ends up being very exciting.
5. Subscription are the gift that keeps on giving. Find a magazine that your child will enjoy (Lego is free to subscribe to), Chirp, High Five, Highlights and subscribe. Each month when they receive their new magazine they’ll have something new to do, look at and read.
6. Gear for a sport or extracurricular activity such as soccer cleats, hockey helmet, skate guards, a new volleyball, new art supplies. Whatever your child is into, replacing some much needed supplies or gear can be considered a gift at Christmas time.
7. Extracurricular activities such as horseback riding lessons, a new gymnastics session, winter swimming lessons, a new dance program etc. are all great ideas for grandparents looking to surprise your child with something meaningful and each week they will be reminded that grandma wanted them to be able to attend a sport.
Hopefully these ideas help limit some of the stress on people during the holidays and reminds us to enjoy this time through the eyes of the children around us.
