Gifts, commitments, meals, purchases, plans in style, more purchases … it is likely that at this time we get carried away by situations and emotions that impact our children in multiple ways.
In this sense, we may be doing things that help children live the magic of Christmas with intensity, or on the contrary, we forget what truly has value and makes them happy.
Therefore, if you want your children to live these dates in a positive and happy way , we share with you what you can do (and what things to avoid).
Things you can do to make sure your children have a merry Christmas
1) Get carried away by the “magic” of Christmas
Do you remember how you felt when you were a child and this magical time of year began? Do you remember how you looked at everything with the innocence of sparkling eyes? Do you remember how you tried to stay awake to see the Three Kings, how excited you were to meet the family or how you enjoyed every little detail?
With age, adults lose that ability to get excited (and many even transform into the Grinch of Christmas), and although when we become parents we usually relive these dates with the magic of before, it never hurts to make an effort to recover the essence of the child that we were. By doing so, we will not only enjoy the most beautiful time of the year like never before, but we will also be helping our children to experience Christmas with more intensity and magic if possible.
2) Sharing, in the broad sense of the word
Sharing is a beautiful word with a powerful meaning. Parents get dry asking kids to share, but we don’t always set the best example . Therefore, it is important to reflect on what we can improve, begin to implement it now and continue to do so for the rest of the year.
Sharing with those who have less, sharing time with ours, giving smiles and kind gestures, offering the best of ourselves … At Christmas, and always, let us offer the world our best version , both for ourselves and for our little apprentices, our children.
3) Provide a pleasant family atmosphere
In many families there are quarrels or disagreements that seem to increase at this time of year , turning Christmas lunches and dinners into “commitments” that do not feel like and that generate great stress.
To prevent this from happening, experts advise temporarily putting aside any family conflict when we meet, in order to avoid arguments or confrontations that set a bad example for children and make adults feel bad.
On the other hand, with school holidays it is also frequent that arguments and fights between siblings increase. If this is the case with your children, you can help improve the family environment by acting calmly, avoiding judgments and labels and encouraging your children to resolve their conflicts in a respectful way.
4) Create family traditions that your children remember
These holidays can be the perfect excuse to create family traditions that give a special and different value to our Christmas celebrations . Undoubtedly, these traditions will be moments that children will always remember, so we must strive to make them special.
5) spend time with your children
Our children ask in their letters to Santa Claus and the Magi for the toys they want and we, as far as possible, try to please them, often losing sight of the most important thing: that the best Christmas gift for our children is us. .
In the whirlwind of everyday life, we hardly have time to spend with the family. Therefore, since at Christmas we have a few days off, it is important to take the opportunity to disconnect from the mobile phone and daily responsibilities, and really connect with your children . Without a doubt, this will make them tremendously happy.
6) Respect their rhythms
In general, the rhythm of life of adults is quite stressful , because we are always in a hurry and interact with others from the deepest disconnection. But perhaps this time of year, overloaded with plans, purchases and commitments, increases even more this frantic way of living our day to day, and we end up even transferring it to the children.
That is why we must become aware, lower our expectations and adapt our rhythm to the needs of children . In this way, we can all have a happy and calm Christmas.
7) Respect their tastes
But just as we must respect their times, we must do the same with their tastes. And it is that in these Christmas dates it is easy to get carried away by traditions, crowds or festive environments without realizing that not all children enjoy it equally.
For example, there are children who are frightened by firecrackers and flares, who do not like to sit on Santa’s knees, who do not want to take New Year’s Eve grapes or who are saturated with the excess noise and lights of the parades. There are also those who hate dressing up, who do not want to greet with kisses or who prefer a simple plate of pasta with tomato before the typical delicacies of these dates, without for this reason they should be labeled as “rare”.
If we respect the tastes of those around us, without a doubt the Christmas experience will be happier for everyone!
8) Giving experiences
Many times we focus only on giving toys to our children , without realizing that the experiences add a much more special and incalculable value than the fashion toy, in addition to making children happier.
9) Turn Christmas into a source of learning for your children
Parents must take advantage of any situation or experience to turn it into a source of learning for our children. In this sense, Christmas is perhaps one of the most propitious times to teach children multiple skills as well as essential values for life or any other teaching that has a positive impact on them.
Things you should NOT do if you want your children to have a merry Christmas
1) Hyperregales
More than ever, at this time of year our children are especially exposed to the effects of advertising. Television commercials and toy catalogs offer so much information that children can become really overwhelmed. That is why it is not difficult to see them shouting with excitement that of “I ask it!” , while turning the pages of the advertising catalogs with hardly paying attention to what they are seeing.
But parents must instill in our children the importance of making a responsible and coherent list of gifts , in addition to not over-gifting children, because excess gifts not only does not educate them in the value of things, but also generates dissatisfaction. , overstimulates them and reduces their level of tolerance for frustration.
2) Turn Christmas into pure consumerism
Most parents try to instill in our children the need to live Christmas paying attention to what is truly important : spending time with the family and enjoying the company of those we love the most, avoiding excessive consumerism.
But we are not always consistent with what we think and say, and what we do. That is why it is essential not to be fooled by the amount of material things that surround us at this time.
And with this we are not only referring to the children’s toys that we mentioned before, but to the rest of the compulsive purchases that we do, dresses that we buy, delicatessens, trips, meals in restaurants, parties … In short, get away from the true sense of Christmas.
3) Threaten and blackmail with the Magi or Santa Claus
Christmas gifts should not become something to blackmail children into changing their behavior or doing what we want. And it is that sometimes, consciously or unconsciously, adults use this technique as a tool of control and coercion towards children.
How many times have we threatened or warned our children telling them that if they do not behave Santa Claus or the Three Wise Men will not leave them gifts? But this practice, which may seem innocent to us, has a very negative impact on children and does not contribute to living Christmas happily.
Photos | iStock, Pixabay, Pexels
In Babies and More | We are already invaded by the Christmas spirit, is it good or bad for children to experience Christmas so early? The best Christmas plans in Spain to enjoy with children, First Christmas with the family: recommendations to enjoy all together, 13 activities for do with the kids at home on Christmas holidays
