Christmas Through the Eyes of a Child
In this exceptional year of years, you may be wondering how in the world Christmas is going to pan out and if you have kids, doubly so. May we suggest a different point of view…Christmas through the eyes of a child.
Tap the past…
Consider what you, as a kid, loved about the holidays. What was your favorite year? Did you get a gift that sent you over the moon with joy? Was it a huge family gathering or just a few people? Did you love all the lights and music? If we remember why it felt special, then let the memories be a powerful reminder as well as help motivate us. Indeed, we feel all feel like we’re out of steam.
It’s important to realize that kids have had a rough year too with all the things that have changed. Maybe they’re doing online classes and can’t see their friends or teachers from school. Everyday activities have been restricted or outright stopped. Draw from their bottomless enthusiasm for the season…what do they think would be a super cool Christmas through their eyes? Their answers may surprise you.
What is their favorite part of Christmas? Watching as gifts slowly gather under the tree? Is there a certain box they can’t wait to open? Do they like baking cookies and waiting for Santa? Or is it just spending time with the family in their pajamas all day? Capitalize on their responses!
Fresh Ideas!
Perhaps they would like to do a themed tree. One that focuses on superheroes, or a particular color group, or maybe an old-fashioned back-to-basics tree with homemade ornaments and stringed popcorn and cranberries. Doing holiday crafts adds a personal touch and engages creativity…and kids love crafts!
Does your family make contributions to local charities during the holidays? Or perhaps your children know of someone in their class whose family is really struggling because of the pandemic? Would they like to help them instead? Maybe they want to bake cookies for the doctors and nurses at a local hospital. How about a leg up with some housecleaning? Always a welcome gift! This year the need is greater than usual, and of course, kids are natural ‘givers’, so maybe they have some ideas on what they would want to do to help someone in need. Making it extra special this year might be just the ticket to pop us all out of the dreariness.
Kids never fail to sustain their excitement for almost everything including Christmas through the eyes of your child. In view of a time when we, as adults, have taken a mental beating, let’s allow their enthusiasm and delight in the holidays to lift our spirits and remind us that all is well.
Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/@lordmaui
