Christmas Countdown day 1

Yesterday, the kids wrote their letters to Santa as part of our Christmas Countdown/Advent celebration. It's funny because my kids do NOT associate behavior with presents from Santa. I don't make a big deal of it; for us, Santa's presence is not based on behavior, it is a magical gift for a special time of year.

I am sure this will come back to haunt me one day, but I give my kids a fair bit of direction in terms of writing their letters. We talk about how the items on the list are suggestions and we don't always get everything/the exact thing on the list. I also help them think critically and meaningfully about what they write down. Reminding them, for example, of that thing they really wanted (that I think is appropriate/affordable/already purchased) and having them include that on their list.

L used a wonderful tactic this year--he let Santa know that even though he was the one asking for one item on his list, it was really a gift that would benefit the whole family.

Christmas

Christmas this year was both wonderful and frustrating.

Let's start with the good:

• brunch at our house with part of our family
• long visit with said family
• the kids were excited about the three presents they recieved from Santa (yes, only three, which was actually one too many)
• my mom kept her promise to scale down
• the gifts they got were meaningful and appropriate
• great visit with other part of our family
• cards from many people
• acknowledging and truly accepting that my kids do not need/want toys. they want experiences and time to be with us and each other. I know it sounds cliche, but it's true.

Now the bad:

• too much stuff
• people who don't take my wishes seriously because they are so caught up in making themselves happy. Somehow, my beliefs mean nothing because they are not the same as theirs. People who acknowledge that they are acting against my wishes, and expect me to not be upset or frustrated.
• too many conversations about stuff

Actually, I was able to make lemonade out of this whole thing. I went through the kids' closets and cleared out most of their current wardrobe to make room for the new stuff that they did not need. But, I am freecycling/giving all the duplicates away, so someone will benefit.