This time of year, it’s hard to escape the blatant advertising of kids’ toys…. It’s Zhu Zhu Pets this and Littlest Pet Shop that…. Ella didn’t even know Sing-a-ma-jigs existed until she saw a tantalizing commercial for them in between one of her Dora the Explorer episodes. Now she’s “gotta have it!” And quite frankly, I’VE HAD IT!!
This time of year, when we parents are already trying to keep the kids as happy as we can and making sure we get some of the special items on their Christmas list, it gets frustrating (as the month scurries along) when the lists get longer, and longer, and longer. The gimmies gotta stop.
I want this!
I want that!
When do I get presents?
Seriously, all this talk about “what’s in it for me?” really takes the joy out of Christmas. As Linus said in A Charlie Brown Christmas, “we’ve lost the true meaning of what Christmas is all about.”
I hate to be a Scrooge, but what about Joy to the World, Angles We Have Heard on High, and Hark, the Harold Angels Sing? Instead, we get All I Want for Christmas… and You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch if we don’t deliver.
Charlie Brown nailed it on the head. Christmas really has gone commercial. And it’s up to us to bring the “peace on earth and good will toward men” back. Show your kids that, believe it or not, it can be just as much fun to give as it is to receive. Take a few names off your nearest Giving Tree and have your child help you shop for a gift someone truly in need deserves. Spend some good, old-fashion family-time ringing bells for The Salvation Army—something (anything) to show your kids that this time of year is not just about the presents.
Matt, the kids, and I decided to pull a couple names off our church’s Giving Tree this year and it gave me and Ella an opportunity to get started on some holiday baking, since one of the requests was homemade Christmas cookies. That festive project led to a separate day of making ornaments for the tree.
Memories last longer than any toy ever will, and the best part is you can make as many as you wish. Your kids will surely treasure those experiences for years to come. I know I’ll never forget the fun I had as a kid, decorating cut-out cookies with my mom or having my dad drive us around town to look at people’s outdoor Christmas lights. Special times like these are what make the experiences a gift that keeps on giving.
What are some ways you help make the holiday season special as a family?
