The holidays can be hectic and overwhelming, filled with high hopes and even higher expectations. And now that we are officially six days into the holiday season (if you include Halloween in the season), we are doing our best to teach the kids that this time of year isn’t about the commercial hooha that’s marketed pretty much everywhere they turn. We want them to know that the experience is more important than the trimmings. That showing compassion, spending quality time together and being generous with others is what makes for the happiest of holidays. Not so easy in a world that streams advertising aimed at kids who can’t even read yet.
One of the things we know too well is that kids LOVE to help. They do. It makes them joyful. Have you ever known a 2 year-old who didn’t want to put dishes into a dishwasher? Especially the really breakable ones? That were passed down to you from your great grandmother from the “Old Country?”
Or maybe you’ve noticed that kids (all ages) LOVE to learn new things. Again, they do. They are sponges who want to absorb as much information and stuff as we can throw at them. It gives them great happiness to be the one who knows the “truth.”
We figure, if we give our kids the opportunity to help and to learn over the holidays, there is no way for them not to have a happy season.
So we’ve been looking for ways to include our kids in the holiday planning, prep and partying. Sure, some of these things would be quicker and easier and prettier and maybe even more “perfect” without little hands helping, but who wants perfect?
Read the whole post today in our guest post for Modern Alternative Mama …