When parents play the part of Scrooge, unwilling to go to the trouble to make a nice Christmas for their children, the children may have the impression that their parents do not care about them and perhaps do not love them. We are not suggesting that they spend more than they can afford, but they should not spend less than they can afford. The following are suggestions for making a good Christmas for children:

The Christmas Story: An excellent way to focus on this is to have the children participate in a home Christmas play. Make costumes for Joseph, Mary, the three kings, shepherds and angels. When you make the costumes make wide hems that can be let down each year. Copy designs from Christmas cards or an encyclopedia. If there are not enough children in your family, combine with another family.

An adult can read the story from the Bible. Invite an audience of relatives or a few close friends. You will have no trouble winning the cooperation of children since there are no parts to learn and they love to dress in costumes. Even very small children can participate.

An alternative is to take your children to programs at church, school or other places in the community where the Christmas story is to be presented. Or, tell the Christmas story in your own words. Supplement this by expressing your conviction of the life and mission of Jesus Christ. Your convincing testimony will be the greatest gift you can give your children and one which will remain with them all of their lives. And don’t think it will go “over their heads.” What they don’t understand in words they will understand by the spirit.

Gifts for Children: Knowing what will delight your children is an art parents can cultivate. Keep your eyes and ears open and you will pick up on hints. Don’t be overly practical, focusing only on things that are useful. If something means a great deal to a child, make an effort to obtain it. Don’t let your children rule, however. They may want something just because their friends want it or they saw it on TV. Your judgment may be better than theirs. The real skill and joy of a lifetime is to give them something they have never thought of, something that’s a complete surprise, but something they will treasure dearly. Every child should have such an experience, even if only once in a lifetime.

The Festivities: To make a real Christmas for children of all ages, concentrate on the festivities such as the Christmas tree, ornaments, décor of the house, spicy cooking and socials. To achieve this get your shopping done early and sewing out of the way so you have time to devote to the homey traditions that enrich the spirit of Christmas. Your time and effort to achieve this will make Christmas special to your children. Better to do less gift giving than to leave out this important part of the holidays.

A Special Gift: To enhance the spirit of Christmas let the children participate in giving a gift to someone in need. They may know of a child or a family who is in need, or someone who is lonely. If not, let them inquire at the church, school or the Salvation Army. The gift should require some sacrifice from each member of the family, in time, money or goods, and should be kept confidential. It may be something tangible, a service or a visit. Such a gift brings a warm spirit into the family.

A Mother’s Special Gift: During Word War II a mother and her three children were living in Arizona while the father was stationed in Alaska. It was understood between them that the father was to send money for the children’s Christmas. Christmas drew near but no money arrived. The mother just knew the money would come in time. Christmas Eve arrived but the money did not. She did not have a single dollar with which to buy her children’s Christmas.

On Christmas Eve, when the children were in bed, she determined that her children would not be disappointed on Christmas morning. She got out a box of old clothes and began to brain storm. She found an old chiffon party dress, a worn-out fur coat, a leather jacket and a woman’s hat trimmed with ostrich feathers. She went into her bedroom and got her two girls Snow White dolls from last year. From the old chiffon dress she made beautiful doll dresses trimmed with ruffles and bonnets trimmed with the ostrich feathers. From the old fur coat she made her little boy cowboy chaps and a bolero jacket. From the old leather jacket she made him tiny, real boxing gloves stuffed with cotton. Boxing was at a real high at the time. She finished the last stitch just as the children began stirring in the morning.

Many Christmases have come and gone since then but her children still say this was the best Christmas they ever had. The son still has the boxing gloves and they sometime weep when they tell of their mothers loving sacrifice to make a nice Christmas for them. She gave them the gift of love and sacrifice. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?

Giving Gifts to Adults

Focusing on the mission of Jesus Christ, the festivities and making it a wonderland for children seems to complete the spirit of Christmas and fulfill the purpose of this sacred holiday. Then why complicate things by giving gifts to adults? This custom only overburdens us and distracts our attention away from the holy theme it was created for. And as it becomes an established custom it becomes an obligation, one that takes the joy out of giving because it is expected. We would have much more satisfaction in giving half of the money we spend on adults to the poor, and putting the other half in a safe place for a future needy person who may cross our way.

Assignment:

Make a New Years Resolution to live FW more perfectly this year than ever before. As a beginning refer to your Angela-Human chart. List qualities you already shine in. Next, make an honest evaluation of your weaknesses. Ask the Lord to reveal to you any faults you may have overlooked. You can be sure the Lord will answer such a prayer. There is no progress without recognition. If we are blind to our faults, how can we overcome them? We cannot confess them or ask forgiveness if we don’t know what they are. Some people say we already know our faults. I find this is not the case. There is much blindness throughout society, a failure to admit, even to ourselves our weaknesses. So this is the first step in living FW.