The holidays present parents with a lot of stress. There are tons of activities to attend to, family to see, a house to decorate, and gifts to buy. Mom and dad spend a lot of time trying to make things perfect for their children at all costs, which can often take the fun out of the holidays. In a world that has gone mad with Christmas consumerism and overt material gifting where children GET too much stuff – it is nice to look at the holiday from the eyes of a child. The truth is that even without all the fancy stuff, kids are somehow able to see the magic in Christmas. When adults pass by a house adorned with 50,000 lights because they are in a hurry, a child will be the one to remind them to stop and look at just how magical it is.
Bottom line is that children make Christmas special! If you don’t believe it, take a look at this list of things –seen through the eyes of children, which make this time of year so incredibly magical and special.
- The bells! The simplicity and beauty of bells are everywhere during the holidays. But often, while mom only sees the bucket begging for her change when she hears the bells, the kids actually HEAR the beauty of the bells and the crystal clear sound that they make. One 9 year old said to her mother, “Sure must be a lot of angels getting their wings this time of year!”
- The sheer fact that kids of all ages can believe in Santa, and that the reindeer fly around the world in one day to deliver millions of presents is amazing. The world has created a fairy tale, a time of magic for children during the holidays. Whereas during the rest of the year, we strive to teach our children and empower them with common sense and responsibility – during Christmas adults allow and encourage them to be children. To imagine. To believe. To believe in the magic of the holidays no matter how ridiculous it may seem. The best part is that they do! And through their eyes and through the belief in the magic that they want to exist, adults can steal small pieces of it for themselves. It is children who create Santa, and Frosty the Snowman, and reindeer, and elves and the North Pole. If something this can large can be created on such a grand scale by so many – it really does seem that world peace and end to suffering isn’t out of reach.
- Have you ever watched a child try to pick out a special gift for their mother? Children can help adults realize that presents aren’t supposed to come from the pocketbook alone, and that gifts come from the heart. Children find the simplest, and most meaningful ways to not just give a gift to the people they love during the holidays, but also to give a piece of their heart along with it.
- Children help form traditions. What starts out as a little bit of fun during the holidays can quickly become a tradition in the eyes of a child. It might be homemade ginger bread cookies, an Elf on a Shelf or something special served during the holiday meal. But suddenly, this little thing defines the holidays and get make its way from one generation to the other. Without children, this would not be a reality. Remember, what you do today – and the traditions you start right now, can survive long after you are gone if you share them with a child.
- During no other time during the year is music so prevalent. And there is nothing quite as special as hearing children happily sing some of the most beautiful songs of the holidays. Across the world, there are choruses of children who might otherwise be shy and reserved, signing about Christ and singing about Santa, and binding generations together through the simplicity of music and song.
- Christmas morning is most special if you have a child to share it with. Sure, it starts early – but it is filled with promise and hope, excitement and raw emotions of happiness that resemble glitter. The feeling kids have on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning is hard to recreate as an adult, but easy to enjoy if you have a child in your life to recreate it with.
- Children also make Christmas special for the adults in their life, by allowing these adults to be a kid again. No matter what kind of Christmas you had as a child, you can have an even better one as a parent.
- While children are known for wanting gifts and constantly asking for stuff during the holidays, they are also alive with gratitude that often surprises parents. Too often, adults peg their kids as being me mongers who don’t think about anyone or anything else. And then suddenly, Christmas comes and you realize just how giving their heart is, and how thankful they are.
- Children give the gift of family during the holidays. Without them, your family would be smaller and they often serve as the bridge that gaps one generation to the next. Children allow parents to see their own parents in a whole new light, which can be both healing and transformational.
Many people say that the holidays are for the kids. That children are the reason so many people fuss and fidget trying to make things perfect. However, it seems that childhood memories and the magic that lives during this time of year – which makes all of us want to be children again, is really what is behind the amazing force of holiday spirit. It is not just our own children, the children of others that make this time of year so special – but also and most importantly the child within each of us. And this seems to be the perfect time of year to allow this child to come to life.
