It’s exciting to see children light up with the excitement and joy of Christmas.  The light In a child’s eye is all it takes to make Christmas a magical time.  What things can you do to create the memories of Christmas?

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”
― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Take a minute and think about the Christmases that you remember from your childhood.  How many presents do you remember?  I don’t remember that many presents, but I do remember the rituals and experiences that we had together. I remember ice skating and sledding with my family and friends.  The stories and warmth of family time around the wonder of Christmas.  These are the things I remember most and want to share with my own children.  Several studies have pointed out that experiences together bring more happiness than possessions.  Here are just a couple quick ideas that you can think about.  Create experiences and joy with your kids.  Remember you are creating their memories of Christmas.

• Playful Time Together not just Gifts – They want time with you.  Quality time in the mind of a child is quantity of time. They want you to be involved and interested in their world and work.  The world and work of a child is play.  Slow down and play with them.
• Create Traditions – The strength and memory of most families is the traditions that they have.  Create traditions that they can take part in and remember.  My daughter and I would do things like make cinnamon roles together on the 23rd of December every year and we would sing Christmas carols as we put the tree up.  Make them fun and memorable as you celebrate together the joy of Christ and family.
• Help them Understand that Jesus is the  Reason for the Season – Use the wonder and joy of the birth of Christ to help them see that He is still God with Us.  You have to talk about Jesus and emphasize this through your decorations and activities that Jesus is the focus and reason of the season Christmas.
• Help them Learn the Joy of Giving to Others – Show them the joy of giving.  Let them catch the joy from you.  This is something that you have to model rather than just tell them.  Find others that are in need and help them as a family.  Help your children see that Christmas involves more than the gifts they get from Santa.
• Model Forgiveness and Peace – The birth of Jesus brought eternal forgiveness and peace.  Try to regularly bring forgiveness and peace to your marriage and home.  Your kids need to see that you are warm and kind with each other after a fight.  They need to see you ask for forgiveness when you have made a mistake.  These experiences can be powerful for a child.
• Love Your Spouse Well – What every child needs more than anything is that mom and dad love each other well.  I am not saying perfect, just well.  The safety and security of your love is vital for the development of themselves and others.

Your kids will remember you time more than anything.  Give them the gift of a relationship with you and Jesus who is the reason for the season of Christmas.  Would you add anything to this list?

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
― Charles Dickens