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| | | | | | One thing most parents would agree on, as December makes its way onto the calendar, is that Christmas is a time when children are the focus of most families' lives. We may plan many activities throughout the holiday season, but Christmas itself must be a joyous holiday for our kids.
Most parents know, well before December, what their kids expect Santa Claus to pack on his sleigh for them, and leave under ther tree on Christmas morning. With all of the exposure kids have, these days, to advertising, they've made up their minds by September which games and toys will make their lives perfect, come Christmas day.
And most parents want to provide those things that their children really want. Every mom and dad loves that look of pure joy, when a youngster tears at a wrapped package and finds the perfect toy inside. So, many parents spend the holiday season stressed out over whether they can find the exact doll or the right version of the most popular video- game. Parents create stress for themselves at Christmas.
Parents don't just feel pressure from their children, either, at Christmas. Other parents, whether they say anything direct or not, often provide their own kind of pressure and competition. Every parent wants to be thought of as the most generous, when kids share their stories of Christmas with their friends, and by December 26th, every parent knows how every other parent did, on Christmas morning.
Most parenting professionals agree that parents have enough stress at this time of year, and that the added pressure of trying too hard to make their kids' Christmas perfect can spoil the holiday season, especially if mom and dad feel as though they failed to succeed in some way. The everyday schedules of most families, today, are so hectic, that many parents also feel guilty about spending little time with their kids, so they may overindulge their kids in other, materialistic ways, like buying too many Christmas gifts.
A lot of moms and dads find themselves, on Christmas Eve, worried that maybe they should make just one more trip to the mall, to find just one more gift for their children. Ironically, what their children may want most is that time with their parents. If mom and dad resisted the impulse to go shopping, and just relaxed with their kids for a few hours, they might find a much deeper joy in Christmas.
Most Christmas toys are old and boring, by New Year's Day. But moments that parents and children share are lasting memories. This year, instead of worrying so much about where you'll find that particular doll or that specific game, plan some time spent just being with your kids. It's the best gift of all.
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