Parenting Wins at Christmas TimeSýnishorn

DAY ONE – IDEAS FOR A MEANINGFUL CHRISTMAS

Here are 10 different ways to help make the holidays extra special with your family this Christmas:

1. Find a favorite Christmas story and make it a tradition to read it aloud on Christmas Eve. Be sure to read the Bible version of Jesus’ birth as well, from the book of Luke.

2. Share your good fortune with others at Christmas by volunteering as a family for a charity or non-profit organization that’s close to your heart.

3. Decorate your home each year with a special item that you’ve chosen or made as a family.

4. Choose your favorite holiday baking recipes and share an afternoon with friends and family baking up a storm.

5. Create a calendar with a different family photo each month to send to family and friends who can’t be with you during the year.

6. Plan an annual family activity for the Christmas season: it could be picking out the tree, sledding down a nearby hill, going to the zoo, driving around to look at Christmas lights – anything that captures the whole family’s interest.

7. Light the candles of an Advent wreath in succession every Sunday during December, talking about their symbolic meanings, such as love, hope, peace, and joy.

8. Buy or make a special tree ornament each year for the children in your family and present them with the whole set when they have their tree for the first time.

9. Make special Christmas cards for friends or family living far away (or for a soldier fighting overseas) – make it an event, with hot chocolate, cookies, and plenty of colorful pens, stickers, cookie cutters to trace, glitter, magazine cutouts, and glue to help.

10. Above all, give yourself a break. Don’t buy too many presents – instead, make togetherness the emphasis. Don’t compare your holiday and traditions with idyllic movies or people’s highlights on social media. That’s not real life. Do your best to enjoy your loved ones and traditions, and never forget that Jesus is the reason for the season. Keep your focus on Him, both during the holidays and all year long.