As my children were growing up, we had a tradition that the
family member who first saw a Christmas commercial on television, got to decide
what kind of Christmas cookies we would bake first. A few years back, one would
not expect to see any Christmas advertisements until at least the day after
Thanksgiving. The first one we encountered this year was on November 1st. The good news is that parents can set
memorable traditions with their children during the holiday season without
commercials and without worrying about sales, shopping and spending a lot of
money. Here are some examples:
·
Write down a family member’s name and place it
in a bag accompanied by reasons why this person is special. Share these
together in front of a fire with mugs of hot chocolate, or around the dinner
table during dessert.
·
Make plans with friends or other family members
to sing carols to the residents in nursing or retirement homes.
·
Make holiday cookies together.
·
Donate nearly new toys to the Sacramento
Childrens’ Receiving Home
·
Watch the ads for Michaels and Hobby Lobby where
you can get crafts 50% off for your children to gather round the table and work
on.
·
Choose some holiday books from the library and
spend an evening reading out loud while snuggled in cozy pajamas.
Money does not define tradition. Use your imagination to
find ways of bringing the children in your family together. There is a lot
parents can do to bring joy to their children’s lives. The secret is beginning
with the end in mind to find quality time to spend together. That’s the best
gift of all.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
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