If I close my eyes and think about it hard enough, I can still hear the pitter-patter of my kids’ feet trampling down the hallway on Christmas morning as they anxiously raced into my husband’s and my bedroom.
“Wake up, mommy! Wake up, Daddy! Pleeaaase get up! We want to see if Santa came! I think I heard Rudolph on the roof last night! I know he came, I just know he did! Hurry!”
Even though the precious childlike spirit of Christmases past may not be burning quite as bright as it did when our kids were young, there are still so many ways to foster excitement and magic during the holiday season, even if our kids are teenagers who act like they don’t care.
Whether your kids are young tweens or older teens, keep the magic of the holiday season alive and well in your family with these easy tips:
Keep the Surprises Coming
No matter hold old our kids are, they’re never too old for surprises. And, even though teenagers are notorious for “acting” like they couldn’t care less about surprises, trust me, they love ’em!
Add a spark to their holiday by surprising them with a family visit to a local holiday event, giving them a few small presents a few days before Christmas to get them excited, surprising them with a mini holiday family vacation or adding a few special unexpected gifts under the tree. Surprises are one of the best ways to bring back the holiday sparkle and magic you saw in your kids’ eyes when they were young.
Ramp Up Anticipation
Nothing gets us in the holiday spirit more than having something fun to look forward to. Pile on the excitement and anticipation with your kids by putting something fun on the calendar. Plan a special family night together complete with games and plenty of junk food, a full-out baking day complete with an array of holiday sprinkles (don’t forget to crank up the Christmas music), an upcoming visit with cousins or family friends, or a fun day trip to the city to take in the lights and sights, go ice skating, do some holiday shopping or just grab lunch.
Regardless of how small or big it is, (it doesn’t have to cost a lot), having something exciting to look forward to can brighten our kids’ mood and make the holidays a ton more festive and special. Plus, after a long semester of school, studying and exams, our teens sure could use a diversion from the pressure of school and life, in general.
Take a Walk Down Memory Lane
At least one night before Christmas, my family and I plan a night where we watch all the old-time holiday favorites my kids loved when they were little. We break out the hot cocoa, the cookies and snacks, and hang out giggling and reminiscing about how much they loved those shows and what they meant to them. (They still do, actually, but they’d never admit it.)
Whether you pop in a few family videos of Christmases past or watch all your kids’ holiday faves, don’t forget to reel in the feel-good memories of all those Christmases when the kids were little and the days were magical.
Enjoy the Spirit of Giving as a Family
Instilling compassion, empathy, generosity and the joy of giving is one of the biggest challenges parents face when raising kids. As kids get older it becomes even more important to take the focus off of receiving and instill in them the importance of giving to those who are less fortunate or in need.
With so many people who are in need of help – especially now, the holidays are a great time to volunteer as a family at a local shelter, buy presents for a lonely senior citizen or add a few toys to the “Toys for Tots” bin in your local store.
In my family, every year we give our kids a little cash and let them choose a few random acts of kindness to brighten someone’s day. It’s been amazing to see what acts of kindness they come up with (they’re SO creative) and see the look on their faces when they see the genuine appreciation of a total stranger.
Create New Traditions
If your family has been enjoying the same traditions year in and year out since your kids were young, it’s probably time to spruce things up a bit now that your kids are older.
Add sparkle to the holiday season with a new tradition or two. Go ice skating or sledding as a family or pack the car with snacks and festive drinks and head out in search of the best Christmas lights in town. Regardless of the tradition, deviating from the old, worn-out traditions will not only be fun and different, but it will also breathe new life into the season.
Keep it Festive
When our kids get older we often use it as an excuse to back off of our festive spirit thinking they “just don’t care as much.” Maybe you’re thinking about not putting up the tree this year or you plan on scaling back on the outside decorations.
Even if your kids don’t talk about it, kids love it when we show our excitement for the holidays by decorating, shopping, wrapping, baking and planning fun things to do. Keep it festive by doing “everything holiday” that your family loves. Don’t forget to crank up the volume on that holiday music!
Relish in the True Meaning of the Season
Life can get busy, especially around the holidays. In the rush of the season, it’s easy to lose sight of the true meaning of the season. But since your kids are less focused on Santa and the “elf on a shelf,” it sheds new light on the true meaning of Christmas.
Embrace the religious values you hold dear and foster unity as a family. It’s a great way to remind your kids, regardless of their age, that the season is so much more about giving than receiving and reinforce the importance of gratitude.
Be Present
If your teen has reached the age where friends and phones have taken priority over family, you might need to work a little harder to reel them in to spend quality time as a family. Make a family pact to put phones away, if only for a while, so everyone can be truly “present” this holiday season.
Sometimes, something as simple as sitting by a warm fire with hot cocoa or jumping in the car together to hunt for the coolest light in town is all you need to bring back the much-needed family unity that oftentimes gets lost in the busyness of life. Plus, the more quality time you spend together as a family, the more memories your kids will be able to reflect back on in years to come.