Christmas is the time for making special memories with your kids. Now that our four children are ages 18-23, we look back and realize even more that it was the little things that made the best memories. I love listening to them reminisce and recall favorite traditions and experiences. Here’s just a few…
Partly due to the fact that my husband and I determined that it was best for me to work as a stay at home/homeschool mom, our budget was often tight. I know that many readers can relate! Gifts and gift giving were not very extravagant and more on the creative style. When the kids were younger, we would take them to the dollar store and they would pick something out for each of their siblings. The nice thing about the dollar store is that everything is evenly priced, making decisions easier. They would bring those treasures home and secretly wrap them and place them under the tree. The concept of giving gifts was cultivated along with the principle of: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Children experience so much joy and happiness from giving. While they are young, nurture that character trait and watch it grow into a beautiful thing as they become adults. Often the gifts we gave to extended family and church members were homemade magnetic picture frames. It is sweet to see our pictures still hanging on refrigerators today! You can use popsicle sticks, noodles, crafting foam, beads that iron together, painted puzzle pieces, and so many other ideas. We would get inspiration and then spend hours working together to make these presents. Your young budding artists can give away their drawings as gifts, too. A labor of love is commonly more treasured by grandparents than a store-bought gift.
We would also take pajama rides to see the lights! They never knew when it would happen, but the moment Dad announced it there was so much excitement. Pajamas, popcorn, hot chocolate, blankets, Christmas music, and Christmas lights were soon loaded in the family car.
During this same time period, we would make cookies or decorate a Gingerbread house – or both! You can do it all from scratch or you can use the kits. It’s a hot mess, but it’s worth it. We also encouraged them to help clean up before we took pictures of the kids with their creations.
We also established a tradition of caroling to neighbors, local nursing homes or shut-ins. One of our children would drop off a cookie before we left each house or location. You can get a list of people to visit from your church or just by asking a few neighbors. Our world is full of lonely people who could use some Christmas cheer.
Every year we made a point of giving a family Christmas gift to charity. Your gifting can come in many different forms. Maybe you know of a need that someone has that your family could meet. Perhaps they need the gift of time to do a project and your family could work together on it. There are bell ringing opportunities, Operation Shoe Boxes that can be filled, Angel trees, and local charities. Talk with your kids and get ideas from them too.
We made a list of our favorite Christmas movies and took the effort to find moments to watch them again during the season. Surprisingly, our young adult children haven’t outgrown the desire to watch movies they loved as a child.
Candlelight service at our local church was also a beautiful tradition that started when I was a child. Christmas just doesn’t seem the same without it. My husband pastors our little church and we have it every Christmas Eve. If your church doesn’t have such a service, find one in your area or have your own!
Our family would also read the Christmas story from Luke 2 before opening presents. Take turns passing the family Bible around the room and let everyone take a turn reading a portion of the Christmas story. At this same point, spend some time reflecting on the reason for the season.
When we open presents, we each take a turn and go in a circle until they are all open. This was always Grandma’s rule and we used it with our family. It takes a while, but it allows everyone to enjoy each gift and promotes a bit of self-control within the children as well. We taught the kids to express appreciation to the giver after opening the gift.
We looked forward to all the family gatherings from Thanksgiving through Christmas, and used them as an opportunity to instill social etiquette. In this day of Facebook and social media, it is clear that a significant number of people have become very anti-social in face-to- face conversations. I’m a stickler for asking my kids to refrain from phone and screen usage when we are with company. At family gatherings, encourage your kids through example to be present. Talk, be a good listener, play games, and offer to help clean-up. This is where character is polished and memories are made. Remember that your presence is more valuable than any presents you may bring.
May you and yours have a wonderful Christmas season as a family and forge many joyful memories together. ~ Amber
