This is that time of year when everyone goes crazy. As a parent, this was the time of year that, if I didn't feel inferior already, I quickly did. Back when my kids were young we didn't even have Elf on the Shelf and I still felt like a failure as a parent. Each year I had visions of Hallmark moments of decorating the tree. You know, everyone sipping hot chocolate, Christmas music playing softly in the background, while everyone cheerfully hanging the ornaments on the tree. Or sometimes I dreamed of all of us getting in the car, so excited to go see Christmas lights around town and coming home to share that hot chocolate.
Typically what happened over the years was me getting the ornaments out, and bribing everyone to please just hang up one ornament, that's all, then you can go back to whatever it is you were doing. My son would sometimes just hang all his ornaments on one branch and declare he was through. Looking at lights around town usually ended up with me and my husband not speaking to each other. He would zoom past streets as I would say, there's a pretty street, oh never mind, you went by it, oops there is a good...oh never mind you can't turn around. My husband would drive and tell the kids to get back in their seat belts because he was driving. Of course, they couldn't see out the window! Forget about the hot chocolate!
I always tried to find the best, most interactive Advent calendar for my kids. The favorite was the one with the little chocolate pieces behind each door. I built up the anticipation only to find out they would wait several days and open several so they could eat more chocolate at a time. Not quite the experience I envisioned.
I overheard a mom the other day tell her friend how she hated this time of year. I thought how sad, this should be so much fun. It is incredible to watch young children at this time of year and their excitement. I wish this excitement and good cheer lasted all year.
Instead of trying to out do your Facebook friends on where the elf is, take a step back and relax. The things that are the most memorable won't be what you think. Several years ago Emily asked me to wait until she got home to make the holiday candy. Of course I did, thinking how sweet, she wants us to do it together The night arrived and I started the festive cooking. She sat. Finally I said, I thought you wanted to help? She replied, NO! I just love sitting in the kitchen visiting while YOU make it.
Here are some things you can do with your kids that will build memories and nobody will try to out do you on Facebook .
- Have them open a new book each day leading up to Christmas
- Clean out their toys and give them to a charity before they get new ones
- Make cookies for someone else
- Just go out and sing Christmas songs to the neighbors
- Adopt an angel from the Salvation Army tree as a family and shop together
- Buy a toy for one of the agencies collecting toys and go as a family
to donate them - Get some gloves, scarves, blankets and walk around town handing them out to homeless people
- Choose a day and tell everyone you meet, Merry Christmas
It defeats the purpose if we get so stressed we don't enjoy our family and friends. We need to stop and slow down and enjoy each other.
In the meantime, put the elf on the shelf or better yet let your kids take turns putting him somewhere. I know, he is supposed to be 'watching' them to make sure they behave. But maybe he could use some help hiding and we could all behave just because. And, if you really enjoy doing it, do it but keep it simple and realize your kids probably won't remember all the great places you hid him.
No comments:
Post a Comment