We really try to have a focus on the meaning of Christmas in our house. You know, Christmas the special Christian festival celebrating the birth of our Lord and saviour (gone all Religious on you there, bear with me, I'll pull it back!), the time when you reflect and spend time in prayer and contemplation, the time to focus on others and give as much as you can.
It is not a time that was made so that kids could have a chocolate calendar with Miffy or Barbie on the front! It is not a time to get yourself into debt by spending as much as you can on your children, when probably they do not need it at all! Let me demonstrate this point - I was having a conversation with JJ today telling him there was no way he was having a DSi XL (if that the right term?) for Xmas when he had a DS last year and it was in perfectly good condition. We had a few words and then off he ran to play again knowing he had lost that argument. I turned to my friend and she laughed saying all three of hers were having DSi XL's this year as there was nothing else they wanted. I was just about to speak again when she said 'yes they only got the DS's last year'. There is nothing else really that JJ wants either but for me that does not mean I have to spend over £100 on him for no reason. I am not judging you S if you are reading but WTF has the world come to? Commercialism gone mad. Spending for the sake of spending I feel.
Sat in soft play last week I hard one lady say to her friend that she must spend equal on all her kids so they do not feel left out. One of them wanted something that was more than the £30 main present limit she had set so they were going to have the extra £10 taken off their birthday present in January. Can anyone please give me a good reason why my 3 kids all need the same spent on them? If the girls want a dolls house to share and JJ wants a DS game and they are all equally happy with their presents - then why do I have to feel as if I should top up the presents of one to make the money equal? Is that what the worth of my love has come to? Mummy loves me more as my present cost £15 more than yours! I seriously do not think so. Maybe I am still lucky as my kids are younger and do not have the commercial mindset yet, maybe I have all this to come but I seriously hope not. I will be teaching my kids that they are all loved equally and that life is not always fair. Sometimes things will not be equal at each point but it is swings and roundabouts - it all comes good in the end!
...and there finishes my rant. I am glad to have got this off my chest. Please do not think that I am getting into the spirit of the celebrations, I am. We have been to see Santa, we have bought new decorations, we have participated in our local Christmas tree festival and each day we open my advent calendar and read a little part of the Christmas story and then, yes I allow the kids to have a chocolate. I am not a complete bah hunbug!
Here is my lovely new advent calendar with a book a day. I hope to treasure this for many years to come. The kids are enjoying it. Each morning I get told to read the Jesus book -
Then here are a few photos from the local Christmas tree festival last weekend. The kids had a real ball decorating our family tree!
Ha 'pea' 'Crisp' 'Mouse'
Our family entry - Let It Snow
The proud decorator - JJ
Festive Food by the Lacemakers (all knitted, it was fab!)
I am joining in with Festive Friday this week, over at Thinly Spread. Go and take a look at all the other festive posts that link up.