Christmas on a Child’s Level

Christmas is a wonderful time of year.  We talk about Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.  We light candles, and in church we enjoy wonderful worship services.  Life is busy during December with events and parties and various celebrations.  We spend time in stores shopping for those we love, and for those we are obligated to buy for.  And we come home exhausted because of all our activities.

But have you ever looked at the Advent season through the eyes of your child?  Hope and Peace are concepts which are  often too difficult for young children to grasp.  (Joy and Love can also be difficult depending on how they are presented.)  The more we are gone for events, the less time we spend with our children.  And we drag our children on shopping trips only the hear them whine because they want us to go to the toy department rather than understanding we must select just the right gifts for family members, friends, co-workers and others.

The result of all this can be boredom, fatigue and hearing our children whine.

Christmas must be better.  The season can be a foundation of learning and joy if we manage our time well.  But during December, that means we must plan our time ahead so it does not get ahead of us.  On my regular website called KosherCopy I have included free resources under the Advent 2015 tab to help parents plan.  I have developed and shared this plan for thirty years.  The plan has been used in my family with my children with great success.  If you will work with the plan and use it, it can change your family’s Christmas.

I often tell parents the greatest gift you can give your children at Christmas, the gift of Love is spelled TIME.  Your children want undivided time with you more than anything else.  And in a season where time is limited, you must plan ahead in order to share this commodity in love.  Which is why I have put free resources for planning on my website.

Development of an Advent plan for children begins with your personal calendar and the free resources  on my website.  Your calendar will show what obligations you have which can not be moved.  Under the headings:

ADVENT WEEK ONE - ZECHARIAH THE PRIEST

ADVENT WEEK TWO - JOSEPH AND MARY

ADVENT WEEK THREE - THE SHEPHERDS

ADVENT WEEK FOUR - THE MAGI -  select an activity to place on your calendar to do as a gift for your children each day of December.  Each day - no exceptions.  You will notice that some activities require undivided time and attention to your children.  These are to be placed on days which are most open on your calendar … and reserved so nothing else can crowd in.  Other activities require only a few resources (which you must make available), and almost no time.  These are to be placed on busy days.  You will find that planning ahead for December, placing ideas on your calendar and having the resources available before Thanksgiving will buy you time and great Peace in December. (Yes, your children are quiet and better behaved when you keep them busy).

The activities from the calendar should be developed according to your child’s age and interests.  Include activities and events in your community (concerts, readings for children at the library, etc….) in your community as part of the plan and your giving of time.  Then take and place these on a calendar for your children.  (I made paper chains: one link for each day with two scriptures and one promised activity.  We took the link off at breakfast each morning so my children could hold me to the promise.)  Day after day you will notice your children becoming more involved in the message (not the mess) of Christmas … learning the true meaning Christ wants us to learn in this, His season, which will bring great Hope to your children.  

Hope, Peace, Joy and Love can be part of your Advent Journey with the investment of planning ahead and reserving a little time.  (the plan links to our book , Advent Journeys which can be read to children grade 3 and above)

Advent: A Family idea

Many years ago, when my children were very young, I read a book about Advent.  The author said during the Advent (Christmas) season people are more interested in spiritual things than any other time of the year.  The book gave many ideas for sharing Christmas with others.  In one chapter the book presented an idea that the best gift which could be given within families at Christmas was time.

The author said that Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year with activities, parties, shopping and travel.  Often we rob our children of the quality time they need and deserve in order to accomplish the tasks which seem so urgent.  The book suggested one way to reposition our family into their proper place of importance is to plan activites for the family and place them on the calendar as appointments.

I took the author’s suggestion, and created a calendar.  The first appointment I placed on the calendar was to eat either breakfast or dinner with my children every day. (Depending on school and church schedules this could vary … and was not easy to do.  But because I looked ahead and put this priority as an appointment, it did happen most days).  During our meal together we would read two short scriptures which were part of the Christmas story (I have a suggested calendar posted at http://www.koshercopy.com/ - look for the tab on the top bar which says “2015 Advent”).  I also placed on the calendar at least one activity per day which connected with the Christmas story.

Sometimes (when I was busy) the activity would be something our children could do with very little guidance (color wrapping paper; design and color cards for grandparents).  Other times the activities were more involved.  We went on field trips, acted out parts of the story, and every week we took one evening for a family night.

Family nights involved a dinner together.  Sometimes we tied these to the story, such as, during the week we highlighted the angel’s visit to the shepherds we built a fire in our fireplace and roasted hot dogs.  (I am sure the shepherds built a fire on cool nights - and because they had a fire, they must have roasted hot dogs and s’mores).  We also sang songs, told stories, and created skits in which we acted.  (My daughters like the skit where one of them was Joseph, the other was Mary, my wife was the Innkeeper, and I was the donkey.  Yes, Mary got to ride the donkey with Joseph leading).

All of these activities created memories.  And these memories proved to be much more powerful than the gifts we gave on Christmas day.  The end result: Christmas is about Jesus.

I have placed on our website the pamphlet with activities.  These activities are linked with our new book Advent Journeys.  The Journey diaries of Zechariah, Joseph, the Shepherd, the Magi and the Maccabee can be understood by most children in third grade and above.  The scripture (Calendar) along with the journal and activities shared with family members can lead to a most memorable Christmas.  Plan ahead and give it a try … starting the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Advent & Christmas Celebrations

   Advent is a favorite time for our family.  Every year from the time my daughters were in Preschool the month of December became a very special time of year.  Christmas was planned into each day of the year, but not with gifts, but with a special activity.  We planned crafts, field trips, games, music, special foods, and more.  Every activity highlighted and added meaning to part of the story.  Taken together these activities brought our family closer to the true reason for Christmas.
   Our Advent idea began as a Sunday School class activity.  The project continued as an activity packet I shared with parents of preschoolers.  As my children grew, so did the idea with more and more complex activities.  When my daughters entered Middle School Advent packets took the shape of daily lunchtime stories and games which appeared in their lunch boxes.  The impact in their lives is worth sharing.
   I attempted to put the idea in a book, but it did not quite work that way.  But the idea is still good and can impact families with young children.  I am sharing the plan on our KosherCopy web page.  You can proceed from this page to look at our new book: Advent Journeys.  The best part is ... the plan is free, just take it and use it with your family (or share with friends).  If you put the plan into use, I can promise a fantastic Christmas.
   The Advent ideas and calendar on our KosherCopy website is linked to the book Advent Journeys, so they can be read and accomplished together.  The book Advent Journeys is readable to a 10 or 11 year old (on up).  Through daily reading adults and children will better understand events which took place over 2,000 years ago.
   Advent, it is a wonderful time of the year.  The Advent season starts the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  When the family participates in short daily readings and activities which go along with the scriptures, members of the family can not but help come away with a real connection to the true meaning of Christmas.
   And when you understand the true meaning of Christmas, it overpowers the trappings and gifts which have become part of a secular Christmas.  You do not have to do away with the gifts to have a true Christmas experience ... they are a fun part of the season ... All you have to do for a Great Christmas is to include Jesus in every part and every day.
   Take a look at our website this week.  And if you like the packet and calendar, please share with others.  And purchase our book this week, so you can read along to bring even greater enhancement to your Christmas.