Tara’s Takes
We’ve made it. We’re one week away from Christmas and two weeks from the end of the year. This is crunch time. As parents, this is the time that we are EXHAUSTED from nonstop December activities and the to-do list that has more added every day. This is usually the time that we dig deep and go all in to make “everything” happen as it should.
But here’s the problem when we do that: Christmas and the entire holiday season becomes a job and not an enjoyment. We’re not in the moment, we’re too busy making the moment happen while thinking about the next moment.
So I’m challenging us all to do one of the hardest things in parenting, being OK with just OK. If the speciality gift I had to order for Brady doesn’t show up, I’m OK with a printed picture in an envelope. He’s 19, he’ll be just fine waiting. If your kids don’t get what they wanted because it didn’t fit into the budget or you just didn’t have time. It’s OK, raising our kids to be happy with what they got and appreciate that the family time is just as important.
If you don’t get your handmade gifts finished, you don’t have a Pinterestworthy gift for your kids teacher, it’s OK. Teachers should be appreciated all year, and I think an email saying thank you is just as important as another “World’s Greatest Teacher” mug. I doubt your child’s teacher wants you to stress out about it. Honestly, I think my kids’ teachers are just looking forward to a break from them.
My kids have asked me what I wanted for Christmas. My answer to Natalie the other night was I wanted to stay home with all three kids, order pizza and watch the original Christmas movies (The Grinch, Rudolf, Frosty) and maybe play a board game. I was hoping to fit it in before Christmas but it isn’t going to happen. Having a split household makes those nights even fewer and farther between. Instead, we’ll do it some night after the chaos of the holidays and before Brady goes back to college.
The point is, we put all this pressure on ourselves to create this magical holiday season, and in doing so we take away the most important parts.
I’ve always appreciated that Advent is a season of waiting. For kids, this waiting is an excitement for Christmas and all that comes with it. The programs, dressup days, visiting Santa and decorating. It is all building up and sometimes that excitement bursts from kids.
WABASSO
