Last night my five year old finally convinced me to pull out all the Christmas decorations, and it is not even Thanksgiving yet! It is still a bit too early for me, but he has been asking since the day after Halloween so I finally gave in. Hoards of boxes came out of storage and crusty white flock coated my carpet as my husband dragged our 12 foot tree into the family room. Then my kids got busy… pulling out ornaments and ribbon and glittery sprigs of feathers and berries. Before I could even process what was happening, my tree was decorated for me. (The first two feet of it).
Later that night, after everyone went to bed, I sat on the couch and admired my heavy-bottomed tree. I recollected a time when my tree looked beautiful with ornaments equally dispersed throughout the branches. Although it was nice having pretty tree, I don’t miss anything about those days. NOTHING compares to the sight of my two and five year old standing shoulder to shoulder hanging ornaments, the warm glow of tree lights on their faces.
So here we are again, another Christmas is upon us. For a child, Christmas is so magical. It just flows freely within them; the excitement, the wonder, the anticipation. But as a mother, Christmas takes on a whole new meaning. Trips to the mall, fighting the crowds, making lists and checking them twice (and then three times, and four and five!) Ordering and addressing Christmas cards, decorating and baking and hosting and scheduling, making sure grandparents and parents and cousins and neighbors and friends and teachers and pets have the perfect gift (not to mention kids and husbands!) A lot is riding on our shoulders. It is my favorite time of year; I truly love it. But it can also very stressful. Last year I made a very conscious effort to keep the magic of Christmas alive, not only for my kids, but for me as well. To find the peace within the chaos and enjoy the simple things of the season. And especially, to enjoy my children as they experience the joy of the Christmas season. Here are some tips that have worked for me.
1. Shop Early and Shop Online.
Many people like to shop on Black Friday. Personally, I found this to bring too much stress! Trying to coordinate which stores to hit and what items are on sale and then fighting crowds and spending the whole night waiting in line, not to mention missing precious sleep. So I have a new idea for shopping early… and it’s about as early as you can get. Each year on December 26th I hit my favorite stores with Christmas shopping in mind. No lines, no crowds, and HUGE discounts on Christmas décor, gifts, and toys. I am so grateful to my 29 year old self for going to Tai Pan last year on the 26th, because I already have all my friend and special neighbor gifts ready to go. I don’t know about you, but I cannot shop for my kids that early because their likes and dislikes change too much in a year. So I just did most of my shopping for them in my living room and could not believe the discounts and deals I found on major retailers websites, with free shipping. (Toys R Us almost always had the best prices when I compared every toy to other retailers.) I have all my kids’ Christmas presents, and I haven’t set foot in one toy store. Wadda bing, wadda bang.
2. More is Less
Okay I know this is cliché, but I learned a very important lesson last year. My then four year old son was in love with action figures. He loved to play with super heroes and he played with them for hours. So I had a brilliant idea! I went on a local classified website and found a lady selling… you guessed it… an entire lot of ACTION FIGURES! Every guy, every shape and size. From Ninja Turtles to Buzz Lightyear, Power Rangers to Peter Pan. I thought I was brilliant… make my child’s dreams come true for $20. So the moment came when my son opened his box full of “guys”… drum roll… I had completely overwhelmed him. He stared at them, he pondered, his eye brows furrowed, and he walked away from the box. From that point on, his love for action heroes faded. It was just TOO MUCH. I learned one of the most important lessons that day. If I had bought him one or two guys, he would have been overjoyed. But the whole box was over inundation. Even my husband and I have simplified our gift giving to just a stocking. The small gifts and treats are simple and thoughtful and it just seems more meaningful. Take it from me… more is less.
3. Get The Kids Involved
I have some nice things in my house that I don’t necessarily want my kids to play with, like my glass nativity. I used to set up my nativity and forbid my children not to touch it. They would gaze at me longingly as I meticulously placed each figurine where I wanted it to go. But since that time, I have realized that there is no purpose in even owning something if the joy is being sucked out of it. So this year, I let my kids set up my nativity. Yes, it is still breakable, and still very dear to me, but I want them to experience the magic of setting up something special (with my help of course). Why take that away from them? If you stepped in to my house it wouldn’t take you long to realize that my kids have helped… from the pictures of Santa taped all over my walls to my nativity with Mary cuddled up to the Shepherd. But you know what? The spirit of Christmas is alive and well. One day, when I meticulously set up my nativity without the help of little hands, oh how I will miss the imperfection of the final result! Let them frost the cookies, let them wrap the presents, let them hang homemade paper stockings. Enjoy your children as they help you in every magical way.
4. A Christ Centered Christmas
Teach your children to GIVE this Christmas Season. Do not pass a Santa ringing a bell without giving your little one a dollar, or even a quarter, to donate, and explain where that money is going. Take them to the dollar store and have them chose 12 items for an elderly person in your neighborhood, and then do the 12 days of Christmas. Have them go through old toys and clothes and do a drop off at the homeless shelter so they can see how other people are living, and how blessed they are. These are just examples of ways to have a Christ centered Christmas. It is not hard to do. We have a small manger that sits on our kitchen table with a bowl of hay next to it. Starting on December 1st, each time someone does something nice for someone else in secret, they can put a single piece of hay into the manger. It starts out empty and it ends up full and soft, ready for Baby Jesus. On Christmas Eve we lay the small wooden baby on the mounding hay that sits in the manger. It is so meaningful and a perfect way to teach your children the true meaning of Christmas.
I hope these ideas help you to enjoy Christmas a little more and enjoy those little ones who still have so much magic within them. And may you enjoy this Holiday Season with childlike wonder!
Lindsey Mair
Lindsey is a licensed speech and language pathologist but is currently not working because she is a stay at home mom. She has been married for 11 years and has 3 kids that keep her VERY busy! She also writes articles for a website called Home Speech Home and her personal blog site is www.thesweetestlittleloves.
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