6 ideas to enjoy Christmas as a family

These are very special dates. Some of us experience them with great excitement but also with stress or even sadness, especially if a family member is missing. It is very likely that most of us remember with nostalgia the excitement with which we used to live these holidays as children.

I remember the lights and the long afternoons with family, I also remember the gifts, and I could even tell you about some of the ones I received, whether because they made me especially happy or for quite the opposite reason. Now it is my turn to live them as a mother and the truth is that they are a little more stressful. Taking care of everything, organizing meals, gifts, juggling the school holidays… Does that sound familiar?

This year I looked at my children and thought: how many childhood Christmases do they have left? And the answer was: few, very few. Because time flies and they grow up far too fast. So I have decided to live in a very special way each year of magic I have left, because I am aware that the moments I am living now are unique. To achieve this I have tried to remember what really made me happy at Christmas and I have made myself a list.

Here I share some ideas I have had and that I plan to put into practice this Christmas, with the sole goal of making my children remember their Christmases the way I remember mine:

1. Create a Christmas atmosphere

Decorating the house together is a very special ritual and it is also a good moment for conflicts to arise. Try to do it at a time of day when they are not tired and with enough time so as not to feel stressed. If the tree is not finished today, it will be finished tomorrow, but the important thing is that it be a great moment. Play Christmas carols and sing. The Christmas atmosphere is not only in the home, it is within us.

2. Buy a special ornament every year

Visit lovely places that sell ornaments, buying one is the excuse to take a walk and spend some time together as a family. Let them choose it, it does not matter if the lights they want are the ugliest ones, it does not matter. Make them feel special and feel that they are part of the family and make their own decisions, that is what matters.

3. Share the kitchen too

Christmas is a good opportunity to cook as a family. Let them help you set the table, prepare the grapes or stir the béchamel. It is a way of collaborating and of making them part of everything these holidays involve. They feel special and they help you.

4. Take the chance to spend time as a family

Visiting the nativity scenes, going to the circus or listening to some Christmas carols are a good excuse to spend time together. This time of year is special, the streets fill with lights and invite you to take a stroll. I see no better moment to spend time with the little ones than Christmas, when everything is designed for them.

5. Help them see how fortunate they are

Convey gratitude (link to last year's gratitude post). Show them how lucky you are to be able to live Christmas with family, warm in a home, full of gifts. It is important to know how to value what you have and not to live only longing for what we do not have. It is a good moment to train our children in this.

6. Do not seek a perfect Christmas

Remember that perfection does not exist. There is no such thing as a perfect family or an event without a setback. Do not expect everything to go marvelously well, that will only create stress for you. Enjoy every moment, try to make the preparations with time to spare and delegate, do not try to do everything yourself. We must not create false expectations and we should always keep in mind what our goal is this Christmas: to make it unforgettable, not perfect.