Parenthood Changes Christmas

Are you a parent with young children and just realized that Christmas is coming soon? Have you ever thought about how much Christmas changes every year now that you have kids? When you were younger you thought about the things that you wanted for yourself but now that you have kids you worry about them and their wants and needs. Your only concern is making Christmas special for them. Christmas becomes more stressful for you because they depend on you for their Christmas joy. You want their Christmas to be as wonderful as yours was as a child, or even better.

Every year your child is a year older, wiser and smarter so you are trying hard to keep up with them. Being a parent with young children affects the way you decorate your home, shop and celebrate for the Christmas season. Now that you have children you could start your own family traditions with them. Or carry them on from when you were a child. Something that you do every year with your family, something they will soon look forward to every year.

One of our family traditions is sitting around the table and helping the children write their letters to Santa and then helping them mail those letters off to the North Pole. We also spend time doing Christmas craft projects and making decorations.

Decorating your home can actually be more fun now that you have kids. Don't be afraid to let your kids make a mess and get dirty. You will never get a better gift than a handmade gift from your child. You can have them make ornaments to put on the tree and Christmas cards to give to the family. You will probably be able to use the decorations every year and it will be a memory that you and your child have together. You could even make this a tradition that the kids will love.

Shopping is a lot more difficult now and since you are shopping for the kids you will have to find a babysitter for them. Online shopping is more convenient and you can do it when the kids go to bed. You can also have your gifts delivered to your door so you do not even have to leave the house.

When your kids are young it's a good time to teach them the meaning of Christmas - that it is not about the material things that they may get but that Christmas is about giving rather than receiving, and being there for your family and friends.