The Dreaded Christmas List

At some point in November, children across the globe sit down and thoughtfully pen their letter to Santa. For many parents, this is a moment of horror, when the desires of our children are laid out. Particularly in tough economic times, a dollar-demanding list can be a cause of high anxiety. Given that we naturally want our children to have what they want, many parents will get into debt this Christmas trying to meet their children’s requirements.

To try and prevent such a crisis, there needs to be some ground rules. Naturally, your children are not to know these are ground rules as such – after all, Santa is making the toys, you’re not buying them – but the spirit is the same. Before they make their list, tell your kids that Santa is very busy this year and only has time to make a set number of presents. Allocate each child the same number, and tell them they have to stick to it, with one alternate.

Children may not like this, but it’s necessary if you want to avoid debt following the Christmas holiday. It also teaches children a good lesson in channeling their desires to get what they really want; something which will come in useful in later life. Of course, if you find you have a little more cash than you’d expected, you can always add gifts. By asking them to prioritize, you can be sure that more effort and thought will go into the list than if they had just written down everything they could think of.

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Christmas Traditions: Not Essential, But Often Worthwhile

There is no right and no wrong way to celebrate Christmas. At least, where Christmas is concerned you do not have to stay with the traditional ways. After all, one of the major messages of Christmas is peace and goodwill. It would be absolutely wrong to start introducing rules as to what constitutes an acceptable form of revelry, above and beyond those already laid down by the law of the land. As long as you stick to the laws which exist, your Christmas can take any form you deem acceptable.

That said, there is a reason that the traditions have become traditional. When the first Christmas mince pies were produced, it is likely that the baker who cooked them had no idea just how much a part of Christmas they would become in many countries. People eat them, however, because they like them. Equally, it is not essential to have a tree in your house for the Christmas period – but people do, and have done for many years it does give a certain festive cachet to the whole occasion.

The main thing to keep in mind about the festive period is that people are supposed to enjoy themselves, and this should not be controlled by an insistence on maintaining traditions. The one tradition that should always be upheld at Christmas is that people are kind to one another and find a way to get along, even with those people they would ordinarily not speak to. As for the rest of it, people will find their own way.

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