All The Amazing Things We Are NOT Doing For The Holidays
Guess what? My family has precious few traditions or obligations surrounding the holidays.
I don't do an advent devotional with the family.
I don't wrap books for them to read every day leading up to Christmas.
I don't take them to a tree lighting.
Or a Christmas concert.
Nor do we do some fun holiday craft or baking each day leading up to to New Year's.
We don't even volunteer to wrap gifts at the local shelter.
Those things sound amazing and I bet those traditions are super special for everyone, but for me, it sounds stressful. It feels like a lot of pressure!
Instead, we go with the flow, one night if the mood strikes us we will have hot chocolate (without special polar bear marshmallows--just the plain old round ones) and drive around to look at lights on houses. A few days later, we might buy some toiletries while at a routine shopping trip and hand them out to homeless we happen to come across over the course of that week. Maybe we will read a Christmas book or two.
IT'S OKAY TO NOT HAVE ALL THE TRADITIONS OR DO ALL THE THINGS!!
We still enjoy this season thoroughly!! My kids don't feel deprived and neither do I. We take in all the wonderful music, sights, and sounds of the holidays and we rejoice that our Savior was born!
So, if you are feeling a little guilty if you are not participating in something special continually during this holiday season, let the guilt go! Just be yourself and let your own joyful spirit and loving-kindness set the tone for a beautiful Christmas! That's what matters the most and what your kids will really remember!
P.S. If you are already going a little crazy this holiday season, grab a copy of my new little book, Holiday Triggers for FREE when you snag a copy of Triggers: Exchanging Parents' Angry Reactions for Gentle Biblical Responses OR the Triggers Study Guide! Just click here to get all the details!
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