Christmas Is A Family Affair
So often Christmas is thought of a child’s holiday. Certainly many parts of it are just for the younger ones. There are the Santa letters, visits to sit on his lap and Santa phone calls. Christmas is more than just that. It is a family holiday. There are a few simple things you can do to keep it that way and leave you and your children with fond memories of the Christmases of their youth.
Let us start with the Ho Ho bush, sometimes known as a Christmas tree. If you use a live tree, you can really make an experience of it. There are lots of Christmas tree farms within a short drive of most urban centers. Go out and pick a standing tree rather than the shaved ones you find on the lots. You can down it yourself or they will do it for you. Either way it builds the anticipation.
When you get home you will find the fun has just started as it is time to decorate. Now theme trees are pretty and neat, but those are best left for the artificial tree in the living room. This is for the family tree in the den (can you really have too many Christmas trees?). Let the kids make some of the decorations. The internet is filled with ornament ideas for all ages. You will be surprised at how many of those last from year to year and will end up on your grandkids’ trees as little family heirlooms. They might have no intrinsic value but have priceless sentimental value.
Now it is time to make Christmas goodies. Children love to help and, when properly supervised, can have a blast. You can make items from your childhood and comb the internet, or your friends’ brains, to find new sweets to make. Don’t just make a little, you are already making a mess so you might as well get it all done, or most of it done, at once. The extras that you make can be added to gift tins that the kids can give the neighbors, their teachers and others. It is a great way to help teach the kids the importance of giving and not just receiving.
Of course you can’t forget gift wrapping! Children have few better friends than wrapping paper and transparent tape. Once again they get to help mommy wrap and then go help daddy wrap. They get a chance to wrap their gifts too while learning the fine art of gift disguise (“You’ll never guess what’s in here”, they’ll beam). You can bet the gifts they wrapped will be the first ones pulled out from underneath the tree and handed to its recipient!
Finally there is Christmas Eve, a true family affair. Get the kids involved here as well. There is still so much to do before the great elf arrives. Of course Santa will need to be feed. Let the kids decide if it will just be cookies and milk or do they need to make him a PB&J for his long night. The reindeer are not to be forgotten either. The kids can put out food for them too; they are doing a lot of flying! However Christmas is done in your house, it is a great time for family bonding and a chance to build memories for a lifetime.
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