As soon as carols start to play, the shops start to stock those seasonal trinkets, and Grandma starts asking “Well, what do you want this year?” your children will know it’s time for festive fun! Yes, Christmas is coming!
From creating Christmas wish lists, to opening advent calendars and transforming the house into a yuletide grotto, it’s an exciting time for kids whatever you choose to do. But what if this year you want to make Christmas even more magical, and a merry event to remember? What can you do to ensure, like Rudolph’s nose, that your Noël stands out and glows?
Prove Christmas is Real
For younger kids especially, creating an atmosphere that Christmas is something they can reach out and grab, is magic. Leaving a plate of mince pies or gingerbread, with milk (or a little glass of sherry?) for Santa – magically just crumbs by the morning! – is well known. So build on it!
On Christmas day, along with the carrot stub left from the reindeer, they might find a little reindeer dust sprinkled outside (glitter and oats). Or a few mysterious chocolate coins about the house, fallen from Santa’s pockets. And what if Santa left a personalised note to say ‘thanks!’ by his empty plate?
To add to the realism, make Santa’s wrapping paper different to that on the presents you give. If he leaves the stocking and you provide the presents under the tree, it’s nice to make that subtle difference – your kids will notice!
Visits to Father Christmas’s department store grotto make even the most sceptical younger kids believers, and it never hurts to give the jolly man in red an occasional call to tell him how good (or otherwise!) your kids are being! And if you can ‘accidentally’ film the man himself leaving presents, well. You may have well behaved kids forever.
Make the Preparations Exciting!
Christmas excitement is all about creating suspense! From decorating the house to collecting the almighty food shop feast, everyday Christmas tasks help build excitement and anticipation! So rather than doing all the tasks yourself, get the kids involved!
Festive prep is a great chance for you to spend some quality time together – your kids will remember the one-to-one times you spend with them through to adulthood. Whether you’re having an icing fight while decorating the gingerbread men, seeing who can sing carols the best (loudest?), switching on the Christmas lights, watching festive films or having them choose and decorate the Christmas tree (perhaps they could make their own decorations?) there’s a lot you can do together to cut the seasonal stress and ensure it really is a time for family.
Besides, there’s so much to do, you might appreciate a little extra help, whatever age your kids are!
Make Them Feel like Christmas Kings
On the day itself, don’t make them do things they don’t want to (within reason)! It’s the one day of the year to have fun, let loose, and yes, make some noise and mess! Don’t be afraid to break a few rules!
Eating festive chocolate for breakfast, while unhealthy is a common and rare treat. At dinner, you might want to have a kids-only table (if there are a other kids in the family) to encourage the feeling that they are Christmas VIP’s. Make them feel important! (But don’t force teens to join a toddler table!).
If kids don’t like mince pies or Christmas pudding, get them a dessert you know they love, and perhaps serve a Christmas drink so they feel as Christmassy as the adults drinking wine. Once children are done with their meal, let them go off and play with their new toys, rather than sit for hours. That way you and the other adults can relax over your meal!
Of course Christmas is a tradition unique to everyone individually. What your family will find most magical only you will know – whether that means a trip to Lapland or Christmas markets, sending or receiving the perfect gift, or just making the most of the chance to spend quality time together.
