By Mary Elizabeth
Piretti
It’s Christmas time! We all have memories of our
celebrations growing up, and as parents, we try in some way to create holiday
memories for our own children. There are so many opportunities and experiences
for families, how do you decide which will settle into the hearts of your
children and last a lifetime? Things can get out of hand quickly, and while not
all of the “over the top” Christmas traditions are bad, they aren’t all
necessary for the magic of Christmas. When you are able to keep traditions
simple but meaningful, they will not only provide your family with special
holiday memories, but they will also allow you to maintain your sanity in this
wonderful but potentially hectic time of year.
One of our favorite things to do is get coffee, then drive
around and look at Christmas lights. This is one of the simplest memories, but
the family time together in the car seeing what others have done to decorate is
such a special time. We don’t drive hours out of our way to seek out the
biggest light show; we just pick neighborhoods near us, drive through them, and
see what we can find. One of the reasons this is so exciting is because you
never know what you’ll stumble upon, and every year is different. We have some
favorites that we return to every year, and the anticipation of the giant
lighted candy cane down the street is met with great excitement. It is a
special night every year, and one I know I look forward to, and as my kids get
older, I hope they will, too!
Another popular tradition is “Elf on the Shelf” or “Magic
Elves.” While we don’t do this in our family yet, mostly because my son is too
young, I’m not sure if we ever will. Hear me out on this, as I know some of you
have elves and are very tied to the sense of magic they bring. Elves in your
house “watching” for Santa and mysteriously moving around at night aren’t in
and of themselves a bad thing, but why do we as parents sometimes go out of our
way to create a mess just for us to clean up ourselves later? When elves spill
cereal at night, or squish toothpaste all over the bathroom counter, there is
no doubt that kids will laugh. There is also no doubt that you, the parent who
actually made the mess, will be scrubbing up whatever mess the elf left behind.
Why not make it easier on yourself? The magic of elves, if you choose to have
them, can be kept simpler by a child just searching each morning for his elf in
a new and creative place. If you already have elves who make messes and you
want out of this tradition, you can fix it easily by doing something along the
lines of a letter from Santa explaining that his elf will no longer be tearing
your house apart, but will still be floating around as his watchman.
In all of the traditions of Christmas and the holiday
season, keep in mind that you are the parent. What works for one family may not
work for yours, and that’s okay. If you choose not to drive out of your way for
a larger Christmas light show or to keep elves off your shelves, the most
important thing is that YOU have made the decision. Memories of special holiday
traditions are wonderful and meaningful but they don’t have to add stress to
your family and cause you to feel out of control. Bake cookies with your kids,
watch Christmas movies, drink hot chocolate in front of the fire—but only if
this is fun for you and your family. This time as a family is what will last
with them and will be what they carry over to their own families one day--not
the Lucky Charms all over the kitchen floor.
