While many Christmas traditions have stuck around, the focus of the holiday has seemed to shift from quality time at home with family to busy plans and long to-do lists. My favorite Christmas memories include dancing to Holiday albums put out by some of my favorite pop singers and helping my parents take down the decorations from the attic. Times were simpler then and there are some Christmas traditions from my childhood that I’d love to bring back for my daughter.
1. Advent Calendars instead of…
Elf on the Shelf. Most parents are familiar with Elf on the Shelf and there are many mixed reviews on the tiny red creature. While I’m all about creating magic for my daughter, I don’t love the idea that this elf spies on my kid and reports naughty behavior back to Santa. It’s kind of creepy and the message in the book is that this tool should be used as a threat to take away presents for bad behavior. Thankfully she’s too little to know what Elf on the Shelf is and I’m hoping the craze ends by the time we need to make that decision. If your child is begging you for their own elf, I’m loving this idea from The Imagination Tree as an alternative.
I digress. Advent calendars and Christmas countdowns are great tools to get children excited for the holiday season. My 5-year old self was thrilled to wake up and check for my tiny surprise in my calendar. My dad built our daughter this calendar that we fill with stickers, chocolates, bouncy balls, stuffed animals, etc. There are a ton of toy calendars you can buy now that are already filled for you. Not into the idea of buying even more toys during the month of December? I get that. Interactive Christmas countdowns are a fun way to get kids excited about the big day. I also love the idea of writing a new family activity for each day. They can be as simple as read a Christmas book or make hot chocolate. Children love novelty and with these calendars, every day holds a new surprise.
2. Write Santa a Letter instead of…
calling Santa to report bad behavior. Someone showed me an App the other day that allows you to text or call Santa which sounds really cool. It can also quickly turn into, “I’m going to call Santa right now to tell him you’re being naughty.” I’ve never known a parent that has actually taken away Santa presents because of poor behavior. Teach your kids to interact with Santa in a positive way.
Being a teacher, I have noticed that the activity of writing a letter to Santa has faded a bit over the years. When I was little, I remember searching for toys in magazines and then planning out my list before writing my letter to Santa. I’d put it in an envelope and address it to the North Pole excited for a letter back. A Christmas letter doesn’t just have to be a list of toys your kid wants. Encourage your child to write goals they have for the year or things they want to learn and improve on. Too little for writing? Have them draw pictures instead. Save their letters to show them when they grow up. Also, check out this wonderful program USPS runs that allows you to send letters to Santa or adopt a letter to help a family in need.
3. Choose a favorite photo from your phone instead of…
buying matching outfits for a photo shoot. I remember looking into mini photo sessions for our family last Fall and was shocked at the cost. $250 for a 30 minute session and just 10 photos. It could take 30 minutes just to get one picture of my toddler looking at the camera.
When we were younger we didn’t go to a special set up photo shoot to take a holiday photo. Every once in awhile my parents would splurge and we’d get photos done at JC Penny with the same backdrop that everyone else used. Usually though we’d have a picture of all of us from a vacation or party and this would be the Christmas card photo. While I love the idea of helping out a local photographer, the holidays can get expensive. Photo sessions can also be stressful with little ones who don’t cooperate. Take the pressure off and use what you already have.
4. Make Homemade Gifts instead of…
overpaying for gifts the person may never even use. When did gift giving turn into another stressful task on our checklist? It brings me so much joy to give gifts, and I pride myself on thinking of thoughtful gifts for the people I love. But lately the list has gotten longer and the gifts have gotten more expensive. Besides your family, there’s an expectation to give to teachers, co-workers, friends and neighbors, even your mailman.
As a child, it was a Christmas tradition to make holiday crafts as gifts and bake cookies to hand out. Kids LOVE helping with this kind of stuff, so don’t forget to include them! For those of you who don’t consider yourself a “crafter” (like me,) I love this list of handmade gifts under $5. Also check out these DIY presents for something unique or these adorable cookie boxes for an easy sweet treat.
5. Create your own Christmas Eve Tradition instead of…
buying matching pajamas you’ll only wear one day. I must confess, I still bought the matching pajamas this year. I told myself I wasn’t going to do it and I did it again. This Christmas tradition started with me and my sister years ago and while they make for good photo ops, I have a box full of red and green pajamas I never wear. It’s obviously a hard tradition for me to let go of, but there are so many other Christmas Eve traditions that don’t feel like a complete waste of money. Here are some favorite ideas from my childhood and some new ones that I look forward to trying!
- Pick 1 gift from under the tree to open Christmas Eve.
- Read “The Night Before Christmas” or choose a family favorite holiday movie.
- This year I’m starting a new tradition to write a letter to my daughter about her year. Put it in a little box ornament to save them all. They’ll love reading it on Christmas Eve!
- Deliver Christmas cookies to your neighbors or friends.
- Take a ride in the car to look at all the Christmas lights in you neighborhood or town.
- Play a family favorite game.
- Love this idea to create a shoebox of toys to donate to a family in need. You can have your kids donate their old toys or take them to the store to pick out some items.
- Decorate cookies to put out for Santa.
- Don’t forget the reindeer! Put out carrots or make this fun reindeer food to sprinkle outside.
- Track Santa’s sleigh.
- Start the pickle ornament tradition (my daughter loves pickles so we are gifting her one this year to start this fun game.)
- Deliver a surprise gift to someone who is struggling this holiday season.
6. Make decorating your home a family activity instead of…
paying someone else to put up your lights. The number of houses I’ve seen professionally decorated this year surprised me. Don’t get me wrong, the professional lighting looks beautiful, but it’s just another cost to add to the already expensive season. It reminds me of the competition for the best lights between Martha May Whovier and Betty LouWho. Personally, it feels more satisfying putting up my own lights and decor to admire all month long.
One of my favorite Christmas traditions was getting out all of the decorations from the attic. It signaled the start of the holiday season. My sister and I helped my parents unwrap everything and we put up our own ornaments every year. My mom even saved our Christmas village to gift to me when I got my first home. Every year, I feel that same excitement when I take it out of the box. My daughter is already obsessed with all the little figurines and lights.
Making homemade decorations is a great way to get your kids involved. Whether it’s handmade ornaments, paper chains, or painting stockings, your kids will love to see their individual work on display.
7. Enjoy the holidays at home instead of…
running around to find the best deals and spending time in long lines. Do you ever feel like you just can’t enjoy this time of year with all the busy events and long checklists? Check out my post on how to actually enjoy the holidays with your kids. I am so guilty of overplanning. Now that we have access to social media, I can pull up local events and have something scheduled almost everyday of the week if I wanted. Not only is going out expensive, but waiting in crowded lines with little kids is not enjoyable.
My favorite holiday memories as a child were spent at home. I’ve already mentioned many of the fun activities you can do at home like making gifts, writing a letter to Santa, or decorating the house. Do all things Christmas like listen to jingles, watch your childhood favorite movies, and read themed books. Bake cookies, make a gingerbread house or sip on hot chocolate. Think back to what made Christmas so special to you when you were their age. Re-create that same magic with simple moments.
One new Christmas tradition that’s here to stay…ONLINE SHOPPING! Tell me your favorite Christmas traditions in the comments below.
