My husband and I recently sat down to discuss with our children the new plans for Christmas this year. Not to mention they are 11, 8, and 4 years old. So, you can already tell how this went! Let me take this back  a bit… Some years ago when we were parents of our first born, we started donating items to the Women’s Shelter around the Christmas holiday , including our son in this as well. We understood there were families in need of the simple necessities in life that we so often take for granted. No, we can’t contribute to the world, but we felt like we needed to do our part in our community in our own way.  To be able to place a smile on someone’s face was so rewarding.  Watching mother’s and their children without was tear jerking. Automatically placing myself in these women’s shoes, wondering if I could be that strong in that situation.

To say the least…which that was actually super long! My husband and I knew how important it was to share some love to those who really are in need. And realizing what the true meaning of Christmas is. We wanted our children to understand this importance as well. I feel often times children who are fortunate to receive on Christmas , birthdays, and randomly throughout the year. Often feel privileged to receive , and expect to receive just because it becomes “Normal”. Not realizing how fortunate they are. And how there are children out there who literally get absolutely nothing! Not just in material form, but may not also have families as well. As parents we choose to lead by example, and teach our children that there is much more to Christmas than receiving.

 

 Fast forwarding to that night at the kitchen table…We explained to our kids that they will still have a Christmas, and receive gifts, but we will definitely have a limit this year! After about 30 minutes of explaining how we will donate , and visit the shelter this year….they finally got it…I think anyway! We want our children to understand that our love for them is not measured by how many gifts they receive from us, and the holiday is not celebrated on a larger scale because of the massive amount of goodies. All in all we want our children to understand Christmas is about family, love, and the joy comes from when we learn to give to others. If we teach our children early and instill in them not to take the  quality of life for granted, and raise them to be good people just because it is the right thing to do, and not expect anything in return.  Teaching them to be selfless, and to place other’s before themselves. That teaching goes along way.

This is definitely no meant to cram down your throat…just wanted to share! I hope you enjoy your holiday , and remember to spread some love, share your heart to those in need! This is an open convo, so share your thoughts on how you spend your Christmas, and any family traditions you and your family share. Thanks for reading and visiting my blog! Happy Holidays~

posted by: Ivy  11/19/2015