Dear Ladies,
I just wanted to send you a quick note and wish you all a Merry Christmas. I also wanted to share two small thoughts with you. The first is just something to think about during this holiday season. I recently wrote this in an email and thought I would share it with all of you. Here is what I wrote:
Last night we had a women's Christmas party at our church. One of the young moms(Thanks Jill) that I mentor had her baby with her and I had the privilege of holding him for a long time. He snuggled his sweet head on my shoulder and was so peaceful and content. Holding a baby so close to Christmas made me think about how amazing it is that God sent his Son to earth as a baby. To think that Christ humbled Himself to become a helpless infant. The King of the Universe was a baby who needed His every need met. Wow, that is love.
If you are blessed to have a baby during the Christmas season take a moment while you are holding him/her and imagine what it must have been like to have held the Savior as an infant. Ponder for a moment what Jesus did when He stepped down from heaven to become a helpless infant.
the second thought I want to share with you is just a helpful holiday hint. It can be very embarrassing when you child opens a gift from a friend or relative and says "My mom wouldn't let me have this"(yes, my daughter actually said that about a gift her grandmother gave her). Or maybe they toss the gift aside and ask for another. Or maybe they open it and tell everyone they already have one, they don't like, or maybe they say "I had one of these, but my mom got rid of it." In years to come the embarrassing things your children say or do at Christmas will be funny memories, but for the most part we want to avoid too many embarrassing moments.
Here is an idea to try:
Find some of your child's toys, a few they really like and a few they don't like or have out grown. Plus find a few other items around the house like a can of green beans, a spoon, a bar of soap or almost anything that wouldn't be an exciting gift. Wrap all the items you collected in Christmas wrap and call the children in for a practice session.
Explain to your child that there is a correct way to respond to a gift, even a gift they don't like. If they open a gift they like they can respond with "I really like this, thank-you." If they open a gift they don't like, instruct them to just say "Thank you." Let you children know that we don't want to hurt people's feelings by saying we don't like the gift they gave. Once you have instructed your child in the correct responses, it is time to practice. Tell him/her the gifts are just old toys and things from around the house and that they are going to practice opening presents. Give them a gift to open and encourage them to say "thank you" or "I appreciate it" even when it is an item that would not be a fun gift to receive. Have enough items wrapped that you can practice opening one or two presents for several days.
I did this with my daughter and she enjoyed it, plus she learned what to do when she was given an item she already owned, didn't like or her mom didn't want her to have. The time you invest in teaching this lesson will benefit your child their entire life and will help to limit some of the awkward moments.
Have a wonderful Christmas,
Melissa
