This post offers fun no-fuss ways to make the holidays merry for your teenager daughter.
Teenage girls sometimes find the tried and true Christmas traditions from past years juvenile or boring now that they’re older.
But just because your daughter is a tween or teen and likely “too cool” for some past traditions doesn’t mean you have to give up on holiday traditions altogether. Instead, find new traditions that will help you and your daughter enjoy genuine quality time together this season all while making her holiday festive and bright!
For simple, yet fun activities you and your daughter can do together, check out our list of 5 no-fuss activities to make the holidays merry for your teenage daughter.
Create Handmade Gifts Together
Remember those days (not too long ago) when your daughter sat at the kitchen table for hours doing crafts? Just because she’s a teenager doesn’t mean she still doesn’t enjoy crafts. (Even if she doesn’t admit it.)
Creating homemade gifts is a great way to enjoy quality time with your daughter and get her excited about the gift-giving season.
Together, you can choose the variety of crafts you’d like to make and venture out on a shopping spree to purchase all the needed supplies (don’t forget to sneak in a mother-daughter lunch after shopping). Plus, your daughter will be so excited to present family members and her besties with a special handmade gift made from the heart. For inspiration, check out these inexpensive DIY Christmas gift ideas!
Plan a Holiday Baking Day
There’s nothing better to get you and your daughter in the holiday spirit than the wafting smell of homemade goodies baking in the oven. Make it fun! Buy a couple of holiday-inspired aprons, crank up the Christmas music, put on your Santa hats and start baking – don’t forget to take a few selfies, too!
From old-fashioned decorated sugar cookies and homemade fudge to traditional thumbprint cookies and chocolate truffles – whether you’re baking for your own personal munching pleasure or you decide to pass along your baked creations as gifts to family, teachers, besties or for your neighborhood cookie exchange, here are a 50+ delicious recipe ideas to inspire you and your daughter!
Shop ‘Til You Drop
A surefire way to make the holiday merry for your daughter is to spend the day together Christmas shopping.
Of course, the mall is a great place to browse traditional stores, shop for gifts and get into the spirit of the holidays, but don’t discount quaint towns that may be near you – many of which have horse and carriage rides, Christmas caroling and cheerful holiday lights.
Don’t forget, too, to get your daughter involved in the holiday shopping for the family. Chances are she can spot an item a younger sibling might appreciate a lot faster than you can. Plus, it offers an important reminder that giving is always better than receiving. Also, on your shopping travels, make sure to make a mental note of items that interest your daughter which will make shopping for her much easier down the line.
Decorate Your Daughter’s Way
Chances are you’ve been in charge of the holiday decorating since your daughter was little, but now that she’s almost all grown up, why not hand the decorating reins over to her (with you as her handy assistant, of course) and let her decide how to decorate the house? It will be a great experience for her (since one day soon enough she’ll be decorating her own home), plus, it’s fun!
If money allows, give her a budget to buy a few new decorations for the house and let her go to town to make the house festive! Allowing your daughter to be in total control (which means you need to take a step back and bite your tongue) will give her a big boost of confidence. Plus, there’s a good chance you’ll be completely surprised to see your daughter’s creative talent in the works!
Host a Family Holiday Dinner Together
Did you know that 80% of teenagers enjoy watching cooking shows either on television or on their cellphones? This holiday season, tap into the one thing that all teenagers absolutely love to do… eat!
Team up with your daughter to host a holiday family dinner complete with appetizers, the main entree, sides and, of course, a fancy holiday dessert. Let your daughter hand-pick the menu and recipes, help with all the shopping and prepare the meal. Your daughter will love putting her culinary skills to the test (even if she doesn’t have any yet) and being in total control of an entire meal. Plus, it will boost her confidence and bring you closer together with your daughter.
For deliciously simple recipes, check out these simple holiday appetizers and these festive Christmas dinner recipes!
Selecting fun activities to make the holidays merry for your teenage daughter is easy if you think about what your daughter loves. At the core of every great mother-daughter relationship is mutual respect and friendship. To make the holidays merry for your daughter, spend quality time with her. Show her you care by blocking out time just for her to enjoy the wonderment of the season. It doesn’t have to cost a bundle, and you don’t have to carve out hours at a time. Whether you visit a holiday festival together, host a family dinner or simply spend the day looking at holiday lights and shopping, your daughter will appreciate the time spent together and you’ll be fortifying your relationship for years to come.
Jesse is proud owner of pigtailpals.com, a parenting website aimed at providing moms and dads with the best toy and gift ideas for children of all ages and stages of development. When he is not writing and working on his website you can find him running lots of miles.