With 8 weeks to go until Christmas the kid's excitement is slowly starting to build and with that any parent's dread and anxiety. After all Christmas stands for huge spending, buying and consuming. The spiritual side of this special time gets more or less buried under special offers, the latest trends, stocking up and a thick layer of seasonal stress. The possibility of having some quality family time gets over shadowed by family arguments, who is taking responsibility for mum or dad, people not getting on and where to spend Christmas and with whom?
Against a backdrop of an economical downturn, why can't it be different this year? Why can't this be the opportunity to make Christmas more special than ever with an emphasis on peace, being with the ones you love and the time to reflect upon points of light in that dark time of the year.
Kids Toy Bin
How about the prospect for entering January feeling refreshed and ready to go rather than self indulged, guilty and depressed?
Over the years when working with clients I witnessed this ridiculous Christmas frenzy in which most people completely lost themselves and wondered when they had finished shopping, wrapping and putting their name in a card. The nature of my business meant that the very essence of such a Christmas kept me generously in business as people began the New Year more dissatisfied than ever. Why not break the mould?
Why not ensure to make this your best Christmas ever followed by the most positive start to 2012?
I learnt my lesson when I spent 4 years as a single mum. My financial situation was such that I had no surplus money so I had to make Christmas special for my children on a small budget. Believe it or not, it was enjoyable and created some of the richest early memories I have. Most importantly it reset my values; it was all about time spent not money spent. And if you can spend time consciously and you have a plan then you can create the most simple but magical time of the year.
With 8 weeks to go, please realise that the anticipation in the build up to Christmas is as important as the actual day if not more so. Below are a few very simple ideas to get you thinking about and preparing for the best time of the year without stress, guilt or worry.
1. Get your calendar out and start putting in all the Christmas events in the area (switching on of the lights, special Christmas fairs). These are special things to do after school or in the weekends; kids are excited by Christmas lights, Santa's grotto, watching decorations on people's houses. I used to take my children on a little drive around the area to spot the best decorated houses in a "I spy" kind of way. A very cheap outing but they used to love it.
2. Make sure you take time out to see all the events at your children's school. There is nothing more important for children than to share and show parents what they have been up to in school.
3. You could organise a Christmas party for your children's friends at home (this can be inexpensively done with a small roast chicken, crackers, Christmas music and a delicious dessert treat).
4. Make a big deal out of small things and get the children involved every step of the way. Give your children (guided!) responsibility to choose a tree for instance. Our trip to the local garden centre is always a very special time.
5. Get your children involved with planning where to hang the decorations and how to make the house a special place. Perhaps buy a few new decorations to add to the ones you already have or if you are creative, make them. The kids may want to make some decorations or you may allow them to buy something special for their own room. There is a kaleidoscope of cheap decorations (Tesco, Argos, your local garden centre) out there that can make their room look festive. If you don't already have them look into buying lights for the outside of your house.
6. Buy special candles for Christmas time that make the house smell nice. Small things make a lasting impression.
Another 16 more tips and ideas to come tomorrow to create a magical Christmas!
7. As soon as it is December your kids can go onto www.noradsanta.org to check Santa's progress and to play some Christmas games as each day a new one is revealed. Advent calendars are inexpensive and a fun way to start every day in December, practising days of the week and numbers!
8. This is also a good time to practise some new recipes for the Christmas holidays. Again, get the kids involved making it or indeed tasting it. They can learn so much from cooking with raw ingredients, such as weighing quantities, names of spices, texture/smell of ingredients etc.
9. For most people writing cards can be a boring activity. It is if you are merely sending cards to the people who are likely to send you one. Send cards to genuinely say thank you or good luck to someone. It takes more time but also means so much more. It is also a good activity for the kids to get them to write cards to their special friends or adults in their life they appreciate and want to say thank you to. In addition they can start writing their letters to Santa, which can become a great creative project.
10. Sort all the toys the children already have. You will find toys your kids love but had forgotten about and some can be sold or given away. You may want to make up some parcels for deprived children in the world. Many organisations and churches have such initiatives. Involve your kids so they learn the value of the toys they have and the pleasure it can bring another child by giving things away.
11. Decide on a budget. Creating the wonderful atmosphere that Christmas can have in the home doesn't mean that your child has to go without presents. Then decide what you can realistically afford to spend and who to spend it on. Do you want to prioritise the kids or are there other people you have to buy for? When I was on my own with the boys, I simply told my friends that I just bought presents for kids only. For the parents I would do a small token of thoughtfulness, like special chocolate, a beautiful card with a New Year's wish, a box of tea or homemade muffins nicely wrapped up. Don't spend money you don't have. It is going to only create more problems as time goes on. Decide on a budget and stick to it. If there is a special wish your child has and you can't afford it, then try teaming up with some family members to get the present your son/daughter wants.
12. Use any saved up vouchers. I save Tesco vouchers which can be spent in the Tesco extra stores which is a great way of keeping your cash.
13. On Christmas Day there is no need to go overboard with the food and drink. Why cook for 10 people if there are only 5? If you can, get some good quality meat, but get enough rather than plenty for everyone and find a special sauce or gravy to add a spark. Supplement your meat with an array of vegetables and roast potatoes but plan carefully so that you are not throwing pounds and pounds of food in the bin. Cooking yourself is always the most economical way and can be a nice team and family effort. Have a good dessert that is simple and delicious for everyone. For children you may want to opt for a do-it-yourself dessert, with ice cream and various toppings (we call these ice cream castles). With regards to alcohol, I would suggest to have less of a great wine rather than more of a rubbish wine. Just listen to your body because everyone goes overboard at this time of year and pays the price later on.
14. Make a special effort laying the Christmas dinner table. Add candles, little stars, matching napkins and possibly your own homemade crackers. Be resourceful because there are so many ways of doing this inexpensively.
15. A special Christmas treat for the children during the holiday can be hot chocolate with marshmallows.
16. Instead of buying rolls of wrapping paper, buy only ribbon and use recycled paper to wrap the present's in.
17. You may not be able to order snow for the special day, but going to Christmas carol concerts and midnight mass adds magic and gets kids up into the way of what Christmas really is about.
18. Take the children for a country walk and try gather chestnuts to bring home for roasting.
19. If you have little children then create a magical bedtime routine on Christmas Eve with a bath, followed by a new pair of pyjamas. I picked up a tip from a friend who would sprinkle glitter in the hallway for her small children to know that the elves had been!
20. In the theme of spending time not money, children adore playing a family (board) games and watching a good Christmas film over the holidays. Older Christmas DVD's are no more than £3 with which you can create a "home cinema". I tend to make tickets that the kids can "buy" that they have to hand over before they enter the darkened living room. Prepare some homemade popcorn in small bowls and all cuddle up on the sofa.
21. Do something charitable. Is there anything the kids and you can do for other people, like the elderly or the sick? Giving time and care to other people is very fulfilling and a great learning curve of understanding for youngsters.
22. If you have older children who are very much expecting the latest fashionable item, don't be mistaken that time spent rather than money spent is still very important for them too, despite the fact that they may not show it. What can you do for your adolescent that would really light up their eyes? Can you give them some special time, if not at Christmas then in the New Year where they have all your attention to do something they always wanted to do?
Make getting ready for Christmas a fun 8 week project that the kids will never forget.
I would love to hear how you get on!
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Nov 09, 2011 19:59:32
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