Channeling Your Inner (Christmas) Child

There’s something about Christmas that is almost magical. Maybe it’s the colder weather. Maybe it’s the bright lights and cheerful holiday music. Maybe it’s the anticipation on the faces of every child you meet.

But sometimes we as adults are like the children in the Polar Express book, the ones who grow up a bit and don’t hear the sleigh bells anymore. We’ve somehow lost the Christmas magic in the hustle and bustle of the season. We’re too stressed with our long to-do lists that we miss the simplicity of the season.

Image courtesy of Theeradech Sanin/
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That “amnesia” of what Christmas used to mean to us can make us short with our kids’ natural exuberance about presents and seeing family and Santa. We forget that memories are made not with gifts but with time spent together as a family. We eschew quietness for busyness, leaving little time for reflection. We let our children’s zeal for the season to irritate us rather than give us joy.

This Christmas, I challenge you to remember how much you enjoyed the holidays as a child. Pick a favorite memory and hold it close as you hear your children’s squeals of excitement, see them bouncing around the house, and generally become nearly overwrought with anticipation.

Share your own Christmas memories with your children. Let them share theirs, even though for most of them, they don’t have very many Christmases from which to choose. Ask them what makes Christmas special—you might be surprised at what they say. Pick several low-key things to do with your family in the midst of the to-ing and fro-ing that’s part of the season.

Most of all, cherish your kids’ expressions of joy. There’s nothing quite like the look on a child’s face when he opens a hoped-for gift. Or the surprise on a child’s face when she receives something unexpected yet welcome. Don’t wear yourself out so much that you can’t enjoy those moments. Christmas doesn’t have to be perfect but you can have the best Christmas ever.

Until next time,

Sarah

If you want some tips on how to create contentment at Christmas, visit The Happy Housewife, where I’m interviewed in a blog entitled “HelpingYour Children Face a Lean Christmas.”