Parenting Australia

Future Christmas - What will they remember?

One day our children won’t be children any more. They’ll be grownups. They’ll probably have children of their own. And every Christmas they’ll look back on their childhood. What do you want them to remember?

I suspect that if we all asked ourselves that question, we might do Christmas differently.

As I reflect on my own childhood Christmases I have fond memories of tree hunting and tree decorating. We always decorated the same way. Dad would hang the just-untangled lights, Mum would secure the precious ornaments out of children’s reach, my sister and I would
Catherine Oehlman
decorate the rest of the tree and then we’d all stand back to watch Dad finish it off with the star. It’s funny. Now that I’m a mum, that’s exactly what my little family does. My husband doesn’t quite understand why he is the only one allowed to do the lights, or why we all have to watch as the star is put into place, but he obliges because he knows it’s a tradition important to me. It’s a tradition that says, “This is a family that works together, and everyone has a role to play. Oh yeah, and Dad’s the boss, ok?!”

Perhaps you continue Christmas traditions passed down to you, or perhaps you are creating traditions of your own. One tradition we have started is a quiet Christmas Eve. For us, Christmas Day is busy. We always start with church, then share lunch with one side of the family and dinner with the other. Christmas Eve is our little family time. Our special time to be together. We wrap the last few presents and sneak them under the tree. We hang stockings and leave bickies for Santa. We turn the lights down and watch our Christmas tree twinkle. We read the story of the first Christmas together and talk about giving. Then I sing my children a Christmas lullaby as I tuck them into bed.

One day my children won’t be children any more. They’ll be grownups. They’ll probably have children of their own. And every Christmas they’ll look back on their childhood. More than any gift I ever buy them, I want them to remember Christmas lullabies. More than the food I prepare, I want them to remember the way we decorated the tree. I so badly want them to remember quiet Christmas Eves more than a cranky, flustered Mummy with a to-do list longer than a stocking. And I don’t mind whether they carry on my traditions, or make their own (someone please remind me about this in 2029) as long as their focus is on their family.

If we want our children to have fond memories of Christmas, we need to spend less and invest more. Spend less on gifts and invest more in family time. Spend less on perfect decorations and invest more in making things together. Spend less on preparing the feast and invest more in actually enjoying it. Spend less on stuff and invest more in people. Don’t buy into the retail driven festive flurry and forget about what makes Christmas truly special. Traditions. Memories. Family moments. Togetherness. Simple joy.

What do you want your children to remember about Christmas? What traditions are special to your family?

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Catherine Oehlman is a SAHM currently being raised by a terrific toddler and a curious crawler. Her background in primary education, love of the mothering journey and compulsion for writing collide on her SquiggleMum blog. Cath encourages other parents from all walks of life to maximise the time they spend with their children.

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