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Kids and Christmas
This is the first year DS has really gotten a sense of what Christmas is and started to get excited about it. We're not religious, but I want Christmas to be about family and giving to others. Even though we didn't discuss it much, Santa has started to pop up. I'm not sure how excited I am about that.
What kinds of Christmas things do you do with your kids? I'd like to take him to see carols, but I'm not sure where we could go. I'm afraid he'd want to leave after about 10 minutes, so I don't want to pay much if anything. We'll probably see Santa this year and I am going to pick up a few Christmas books (The Night Before Christmas and the Polar Express) to read.
Also, how much do you involve the kids in getting gifts for others? I want him to help with the giving, but I also like to order things online and he's not a good secret keeper. I was thinking about having him help me pick out a small present for DH and DD and maybe we'll make something for the rest of the family and daycare teachers.
Just curious as to what others do!
Re: Kids and Christmas
The kids LOVE to help me wrap gifts and that's been a good opportunity for us to discuss the concept of giving. Granted - it quadruples the time required for such tasks but such is the nature of having small kids, huh?
We adopted a family to give to this year thru the kids' school and all of the gifts had to be wrapped. I explained it to the boys and took them shopping with me. I think it really hit home with them when I explained we were not even looking at toys for them as I explained about this family in need and asked them what they thought it would be like if we didn't have enough money for clothes much less toys this holiday season. (the family's list included clothes and other house hold necessities as well as some toys)
Then they helped me wrap the gifts and were asking all kinds of questions and expressing their hope that the kids really liked what we got them.
It would have been easier to get the stuff online but I think involving them in the process helped them understand the concept of giving and specifically the fact that not every child in the world will wake up to a tree full of gifts like they do.
Even at these young ages we're already getting a ton of the "I wants" and "Gimmies" so it's important to me that we take the time and effort to help them understand gratitude and perspective for all that we do have.
Total score: 6 pregnancies, 5 losses, 2 amazing blessings that I'm thankful for every single day.
We go to the Zoo Lights. And/or drive around our neighborhood looking at Christmas displays.
I took the girls to Westminster's craft fair -- everything there is under $8 and I had them pick out things (with some nudges) for DH, grandparents, and each other. DD1 gets it way more than DD2 does.
She'll help decorate cards for her teachers, and we'll probably take them both toy shopping so they pick out one other gift for each other.
I am ordering a lot online, and I'll at least show her the pictures and ask her opinion -- she usually has one.
And DH's family does a kid-exchange among the cousins, so that's nice as well for having her think about what others would like.
DD1, 1/5/2008 ~~~ DD2, 3/17/2010
Well, DS is a little over two and he went shopping with DH this weekend and they got something for me. We told him he couldn't tell me what it was, and he did good for about 6 hours before telling me exactly what it was. At this age, they definitely don't get the concept of keeping secrets (that's a good thing right?)
We talk about the lights, we cut down our own tree and he helped decorate it. We haven't gotten to presents under the tree yet, but he definitely understands that concept after his birthday in August. I think at this age you try to instill the values and messages you want a little at a time, and if he gets carried away with "I want", remind him why we celebrate and what's important (even something simple like making other people happy).
We may join a group of his friends from daycare for an evening at the Chatfield Arboretum for a trail of lights, and I think he'll have fun and it will be festive for all of us.
my read shelf:
DD gets to pick out what she wants to give to DS. Last year, I took her to the dollar store and she got to pick out gifts for everyone else. She helped wrap them too and was very excited to give them. We also go and donate gifts to Children's Hospital and do the giving tree at DC for a battered women's shelter, as well as culling her existing toys to donate to charity. DD helps decorate the cards for the teachers and also helps write her thank you notes to family and friends for gifts she receives.
In terms of other Christmas things, they "help" decorate the tree ( thus far, 2 ornaments in need of super glue and massive holes with no ornaments or beads but whatever). MIL introduced Elf on The Shelf. I do talk to DD about the Christmas story and use the neighbors' nativity scene outside and our little one to discuss it. Each one has an advent calendar to help count down and of course we watch Christmas specials and movies and read Christmas books. The kids also helped DH deliver the boxes of baked goods to the neighbors which they loved. DD will make cards for her class and friends and has helped with cookie baking too.
DD -- 5YO
DS -- 3YO
We're making a gingerbread house this weekend and we'll go to the Brighton Festival of Lights parade Saturday night. We'll probably take her to the City & County building to see the lights, too.
She loves seeing all the lights when we drive around at night. I also let her help decorate the tree and hang the ornaments.
We'll make cookies the following weekend together.
Katie Talks About...
DD helped pick out and decorate the tree. She watches all the Christmas movies I own, she's got the chorus of jingle bells down pat. She loves to look at all the lights and we will go to zoo lights. She talks about presents under the tree, which I think she gets from all the movies. We went and saw Santa.
As for gifts, I think she's still a little young to get the concept of picking out something someone else will like. For the last 2 years we have done crafts at Christmas time. Last year I bought little wooden shapes at Michaels and she painted them, I glued a ribbon to the back and made ornaments out of them. This year I bought $1 4x6 wooden frames at Michaels, she painted them and I put a pic of her in them. As she was painting them we talked about who they were for, and she caught on quickly. She was naming all kinds of people she wanted to paint for.