Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash
December is a unique, special month.
There are parties to attend, gifts to buy, cards to send, food to make and eat, and memories to be made. Kids will be off from school, parents will be off from work, and Christmas specials will be on TV.
If you plan as a parent, you can make December a special month.
Here are some ideas:
Listen to Christmas music. I’m not a big fan of Christmas music. If you know me, this isn’t news. However, starting at Thanksgiving, we listen to it almost non-stop until Christmas. Why? It is a good tradition.
Take your kids out. Go to a park, go to Starbucks for a treat, and play a game or whatever they decide (within reason). You can use this time to get a gift for their siblings or others in your life. This can also be a time for you to help them process the past year and what you have experienced as a family.
Record Christmas specials and watch them together. Kids love Christmas specials. At least my kids do. So, record them (or pull them up on Netflix and Disney+) and watch them together. The memories this creates are incredible for your family.
The tree. Whether you go out and cut down your tree, buy one, or have a fake one, make putting up the tree special. Build it up, plan it, make your ornaments, tell stories about the ornaments you are putting up, and listen to Christmas music.
Do a special outing as a family. Some families go caroling or sledding. Some shop on Black Friday together. Many families in New England see lights, check out Christmas Markets, or see A Christmas Carol. Whatever you do, do something together and create traditions.
Eat special (and bad for you) food. I’m a health nut about what I eat. At the holidays, I ease off the gas pedal on that. Eat an extra dessert. Have the same thing each year to create a tradition. At our house on Christmas Eve, we make cream of crab soup and have chocolate fondue for dessert. We don’t make it any other time, so it is extra special.
Get pajamas. This is a popular one, but it creates a rhythm for your family around the holidays.
Celebrate Advent. One of our favorites is Counting the Days, Lighting the Candles: A Christmas Advent Devotional.
Slow down and be together. Years from now, your kids will remember very little about life as a child, but they will remember if you were there. So will you. Don’t miss it. Work isn’t that important. That party isn’t that important. Shopping for one more thing isn’t important if it keeps you from being with those you love (unless you do that together). I’ve been reminded recently by the illnesses of close friends of the brevity of life.
