A Few wise thoughts about getting ready for Christmas

Now that school is finished and the family can concentrate on Christmas and holidays, consider making life as simple and uncomplicated as possible. Enjoy the change as a family unit and begin to remember why family is the key point about this season.

Consider:

Focus on Presence, Not Presents: Children will remember the moments you spend together, not the price tags. Make time for laughter, games and hugs

Keep It Calm and Simple: Don’t stress about creating the “perfect Christmas.” Kids love the small things—hot chocolate, movies, or building a snowman. They love the repetition of Christmas.

Share the Spirit of Giving: Involve children in small acts of kindness— donating a toy, baking for neighbours, or making handmade cards. It’s a gift for their hearts too.

Create Special Traditions: Whether it’s matching pyjamas, bedtime stories by

the tree, or a festive family walk, traditions make Christmas magical and memorable.

Let Kids Be Kids: Allow space for excitement, silliness, and mess. The joy of Christmas is in their smiles and giggles—so join in!

Try to be more relaxed and strengthen friendships and relationships. It is all good for the soul.

“Have yourself a very merry Christmas with all the family.”

— Gail J Smith

Enjoyable reasons to rest and celebrate family after Christmas:

Enough is enough. You have had a busy year. Now it’s time to savour those rolling days of summer with your family. Consider the ideas below to enrich those family experiences.

Exploring New Adventures: Post-Christmas holidays are a perfect time for spontaneous adventures. It's like setting sail on an unplanned journey, discovering hidden gems in your own backyard or exploring nearby attractions. Find the new feeling to holidays.

Creating. Crafty Fun: Get crafty and unleash creativity with family projects. It's like an artsy workshop, where you turn leftover wrapping paper into handmade cards or transform pine cones into adorable decorations.

Appreciating Slow Mornings: Enjoy lazy mornings without rush or schedules. It's like savouring a hot cup of cocoa while wearing pyjamas until noon – relishing those precious moments of peacefulness. Simply slow down.

Reflecting on the year past: Have fun talking about the adventures, mishaps and funny moments of the last year. It is good to reflect as it helps you think about plans and goals for the new year.

Playing games together: When you are well rested you are more inclined to play together and enjoy those relaxed happy moments. You will laugh more and be a little mindful of the precious times you are spending together as a family.

“Roll out those lazy, hazy crazy days of Summer”

— Song by Nat King Cole

Let’s bring the warmth of Christmas into our family

These reflections are about how you can keep the spirit of Christmas alive in the family. Some may spark ideas which are unique for your family.

Creating Lasting Memories: Embrace the opportunity to create lasting memories with your children during this festive season. Laugh, enjoy each other’s company and play together.

Nurturing Traditions: Embrace and cherish family traditions that bring joy and unity. This could be about decorating the tree or cooking traditions. It doesn’t matter how simple and uncomplicated the rituals are just own them as your own.

Fostering Gratitude and Generosity: Talk about those people that have had an impact on you this year. Encourage lots of thank yous and recognition of other people’s efforts in your life.

Embracing Togetherness: Embrace the joy of being together as a family. This is the time to spend mote time together. It can be idle time or coordinated. It’s about the quality of time spent together that matters.

Finding Peace and Reflection: Amidst the hustle and bustle, take moments for peaceful reflection. Enjoy having some mental space and let go of some unresolved matters. Free yourself up mentally over Christmas. You need that respite.

Cultivating Hope and Optimism: Adopt a happy disposition and talk hopefully about the new year. Let your child feel that all the effort made throughout the year is worth it.

Embracing Simplicity and Graciousness: Embrace simplicity and graciousness in celebrations. It's not about extravagance but about the love and warmth shared among family and friends.

Teaching the Joy of Giving: Teach your children the joy of giving. Whether it's through small gestures or volunteering, instill the joy of making a positive difference in somebody's life. There are many charity organization out and about at the moment and needing assistance.

Treasuring the Present Moments: So much fun and happy moments can happen over these relaxing times. Enjoy it all. Look for those spontaneous moments of joy.

Sharing Family Stories: Share family stories and anecdotes from your own childhood or heritage. These stories help connect generations and instill a sense of belonging and pride in family history.

The list above is not meant to be onerous. Just think about the uniqueness of your family and use opportunities to embrace each other and celebrate what makes you special.

We wish all families a merry Christmas

Christmas Home Decorations - Rituals And Happy Memories

There is magic in Christmas for all children. Fantasy, dreams and excitement mount. The build up brings incredible joy and imaginations run rife. When the family decorates the tree and house in bright lights and colours, the home environment takes on a special magic for your child. Here are some thoughts about how your efforts in decorating for Christmas has so much long term value for your child.

Creativity and expression at Christmas time
Engaging in Christmas decorations encourages creativity and self-expression among children. They get to choose colours, designs, and arrangements, fostering their imaginative skills and allowing them to express themselves freely through decoration choices. This creative outlet can be a therapeutic way to channel emotions and thoughts positively. They will not forget the ritual of setting up the Christmas tree

Bonding and Togetherness
Decorating as a family cultivates a sense of togetherness and strengthens family bonds. Working together towards a shared goal, discussing decoration ideas, and collaborating on various aspects of decoration builds a sense of unity, fostering positive relationships. Memories are created from doing such fun family activities. The more involved they are the better.

Joy and Positive Emotions
The process of decorating for Christmas brings joy and excitement. The anticipation of the holiday season, the colourful lights, and cheerful decorations contribute to a positive atmosphere that can uplift spirits, reduce stress, and evoke feelings of happiness and contentment. It's all a positive time to feel good.

A Sense of Tradition and Belonging
Engaging in Christmas decorating traditions instils a sense of belonging and connection to something larger than oneself. Participating in these rituals and customs, passed down through generations, gives children a sense of identity, continuity, and stability, contributing to their emotional well-being. Never underestimate the importance of routine.

Mindfulness and appreciation
Decorating with the spirit of Christmas encourages mindfulness and appreciation for the present moment. Children learn to appreciate the beauty in small things, focusing on the joy of the activity and the happiness it brings rather than the material aspects.

Christmas can mean many things to different people. Above all it is about coming together and celebrating in some form. It is recognised as a reflective time for families and it can have an amazing calming and mentally stabilising effect for children. It is way of putting closure on the year and bringing together in a warm, comforting way all the feelings, emotions, experiences, joys and maybe sorrows that have been experienced and shared over the year.

Merry Christmas to all families in all shapes and forms.

Worthwhile thoughts to give our children as we approach Christmas.

Let’s simplify Christmas and bring home to our children some important reminders about the goodwill and cheer that Christmas should bring.

Focus on Presence Over Presents: Remind yourself that the joy of the holiday season comes from being together, creating memories, and spending quality time with family. Emphasize the value of experiences and meaningful moments over material gifts. Talk about those wonderful experiences that make you family.

Teach Gratitude and Generosity: Encourage your children to appreciate what they have and to express gratitude. Use this time to instil the importance of giving, kindness, and generosity by involving them in charitable activities or teaching them to create handmade gifts for loved ones. Now is a time to say thank you to all those who have helped you throughout the year. It is time also to put our bad feelings behind us.

Manage Expectations: Help your children manage expectations about gifts and festivities. Explain that while gifts are a part of the celebration, the true spirit of Christmas lies in love, togetherness, and spreading joy, not solely in the number or value of presents received. Introduce simple gift ideas that they can make. Perhaps writing cards etc.

Create Traditions and Rituals: Consider establishing family traditions that reflect the values you want to instil. Whether decorating the tree together, baking cookies, or volunteering as a family, these rituals create lasting memories and reinforce the spirit of Christmas beyond material aspects. Every family can create their own rituals, and the children feel secure around them.

Emphasize Balance and Relaxation: Amidst the hustle and bustle, prioritize balance and relaxation. Ensure that the holiday season doesn't become overwhelming for your children. Encourage them to take breaks, engage in self-care activities, and find joy in the simple pleasures of the season. Let them plan holidays with you, and sometimes this may simply mean quiet times together.

Above all, embrace your Christmas with warmth, friendship and family connections. 

Children can start thinking about bringing Christmas cheer to others

So many things to do and so many things to think about, plan for and to do before Christmas. With the children getting ready to leave school for the year, how about turning their heads to positive thoughts about sending good wishes to others? This is the season where gratitude and empathy are strong emotions that come out in our thoughts about people. It is a wonderful opportunity to build relationships, reconnect with others, build bridges and reconcile old wounds. It is a time to teach our children how to be the best at Christmas time and to see the best in others.

Consider:

• Invite your child to think about who they want to thank for all their help over the year. Invite them to make a list and reflect on how others have been instrumental in supporting them. Talk about how they could thank them. Some may be verbally thanked, others may receive a card etc.

• This is a great time for craft activities. Give the children polystyrene balls to let them create their own Christmas ball for the tree. This ball should be relevant to 2022 and tell a story about how the year has been for them. Making decorations for the tree has endless possibilities.

• Invite your child to keep a journal, this can be like a pre-Christmas calendar, only each day talks about something that has happened leading us happily to Christmas. It could be simply writing in:‘Today, December 1st I hugged my best friend.’ Each day has a happy statement about making Christmas a positive experience. It can be simple, but have a punch.

• Talk to your child about how you will thank their teacher and discuss what you want to say. Point out that it is about how their teacher has helped them throughout the year.

• Gift giving can be great, but it can get out of hand. Can some of these gifts be simple objects like scented candles that come with a message? Children need to learn that the size of the gift is not as important as the words on the card. Perhaps the card can be made by the child. Sometimes just a simple visit and a thank you is all you need to do.

• How about talking to your child about visiting family or friends not seen for a while? Invite them to think about who that would be. This is about inviting them to reflect on the less noticed and bringing them into the fold. Stepping outside our comfort zones is all about the Christmas spirit lived.

• There are many charities around at this time of the year. Could it be a time for your child to clear out their old toys and unused games? They could take them to one of the Christmas donation centres as part of their annual Christmas clear out.

• There are Christmas trees around town, set up to donate a gift to a child disadvantaged. Is it possible that your child buys a small gift using their pocket money? Let them reflect on giving to others less fortunate. This is called compassion.

• Class teachers in the last few weeks talk about the spirit of giving and sometimes school or the classroom takes a focus at Christmas. Is this something you can be part of as well as the family preparations for Christmas? Take part in school concerts class, Christmas lunches etc. Bring the season to life in many ways.

• Families will have many traditions over this time and it is important that those rituals are kept. Whatever your ritual consider the possibility of being a little more inclusive. This shows your child that you are inclusive and want the spirit of Christmas to be an open, not a closed environment.

• Remember, Christmas is a warm and happy time. When planning all the busy activities, try to let your child see the joy in the preparation and not the burden. It can be tiring but part of the joy is the anticipation and the waiting. After all, Father Christmas is coming! 

There is so much to think about at Christmas time and it is easy to simply follow the usual patterns. Make this Christmas a little different by introducing some new element that lifts the spirit and highlights the uniqueness and opportunities in each new Christmas. Do this with your child so that they see that being creative, enriches each year with a new spirit of the season and a new direction.

                  ‘Christmas isn’t a season, it’s a feeling.’

                                                                               -Edna Ferber

Giving children a real sense of Christmas

This is a time of giving and there is so much advertising around the shops, television etc. that can cloud one’s thinking and destroy the balance of giving and receiving.

This is also a time to be teaching our children about the gift of generosity and the spirit of Christmas which is about giving of oneself generously. 

Schools will be getting ready to close for the school year and will be farewelling their children, putting closure on their times together and reflecting on how this year has presented its challenges and opportunities. Certainly, a time for our own children to reflect on what they have learnt from yet another strange cycle of school life, lockdowns etc.

Despite all the ups and downs when we come around to Christmas it is an opportunity to demonstrate the value of giving, sharing and being inclusive in so many ways. In a strange way, having had such challenges personally this year, should teach our children the exceptional value of Christmas as it is all about simply coming together and connecting.

Consider the following thoughts that may help as we get closer to school closure and reflect on the message of Christmas.

• Tap in with your child and ask how they are farewelling their class. Talk about being inclusive with parties and acknowledging everyone as Christmas is not “bah humbug” but about everyone.

• Talk about Scrooge in the story of The Christmas Story. This character by nature of his mean attitude suffered loneliness as he was so self-centred and ended up lonely and isolated. This story just invites thoughts about those children in the class who are less included. The more we use opportunities to talk about inclusivity and wellbeing for all, the better we disperse the Christmas spirit. This year, particularly is a reminder about isolation and loneliness. Our children can now easily identify with that feeling after so much isolation in their own life.

• Some families choose to connect to a well-recognised charity at Christmas time. This is a wonderful opportunity to talk about the charities that do such good work at Christmas time.

• Check in with your child’s teacher to see if there are any unresolved issues that need discussion or follow up. Given the unusually short school term, some children may need special closure on different aspects of school.  Never underestimate it is the same for all children.

• In talking with your child about the school year, tap in to any anxiety that may be there about starting a new grade in 2022. Less school contact hours in the previous year can make some children anxious about being successful. They may feel concerned about beginning again after such an interrupted year. This particularly applies to those children who worry about being correct all the time. Think about how change effects your child.

• As news evolves about shifting patterns with the Covid pandemic, ensure that you inform your children well about the status quo. They need frequent, accurate information that is age appropriate and always tempered with a sense of hope. You are their best source of being well informed and feeling safe.

 Let’s see the approach of school closure and Christmas as an opportunity for families to plan, rest, recovery and renew a sense of hope and faith in our world that needs stability, reassurance and joy for our children. Families are a key factor in giving our children hope for their future. Christmas is a perfect time for families to take stock and renew that gift of hope.

“For it is in giving that we receive.”

St Francis of Assisi

As we anticipate the end of the year

So much change and difference has been occurring this year. The news each day about the pandemic, the staggered return to school, the anticipation of holidays, the finishing off a very short unsatisfying school year and so the list goes on. It is natural that our children will be cautious and double-checking with us about holidays plans, Christmas etc.

All of us are placing hope in the new year that it will be as normal as we have had in the past. Children also are quietly placing their own hope in the new year that they will not be anxious anymore about the unknown.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧:

• Talk about the positive news we here especially with regard to the incredible speed of the vaccine.

• Talk about the holidays and Christmas being a time to slow down, enjoy the summer spirit and share happy times together. Talk about the plans that you are putting in place for January.

• There are some good news stories appearing in the paper. Talk about the great examples of courage and generosity that are present in our society.

• Invite your child to be part of the holiday plans. This is also a time to talk about what is possible as a family.

• What kind of Christmas are you planning? This is a great time to inject happy, positive feelings around the family. Consider how you will celebrate the festive season and include your child in the planning. The more they engage in activities that are affirming and joyous the more reassurance they gain about the future. We are all talking about the new norm we will live in post the pandemic. Let us at least try to put back some happy normality such as the celebration of Christmas, Summer and holidays. We are fortunate to have this on our doorstep.

• There will soon be the end of the year school functions and it is so important that the children farewell their class in the normal way. Teachers will of course modify the celebrations to suit the occasion but it is a chance to talk about the year and the challenges it has presented. It will be a chance for all school participants to farewell the grief that all felt with such a compromised school this year.

• Try to attend farewell school functions if included as it provides some security and a sense of normality for the child. It also is a vehicle to talk about the modified school year and the loss the child has felt with friendships etc.

• Even though as family lockdown presented all sorts of challenges and opportunities school holidays are all about rest and recovery. Giving your child what would be a normal family Christmas and holiday will be comforting and reassuring after such a tumultuous year. They will love that sense of normality in their life.

Finally, whilst I understand that we’re all talking about what has happened this year, try to reduce the anxious conversation around your child and talk about the hope of Christmas and the New Year. Such talk is healthy for everyone in the family.