It’s inevitable. The Christmas schedule is crazy, you want peace on Earth, goodwill towards men. Then you hear your kids start to argue. They’ve only been on Christmas break for one day and they are driving each other crazy!
It is difficult to have the holiday spirit when your kids are bickering with each other. How can you teach your kids about joy and have a little yourself?
Take a deep breath and consider some of these points:
- Happiness and joy are two different things.
- Happiness is a feeling that ebbs and flows.
- Joy is based on what we know-our convictions. Even when things don’t go our way, we can have joy.
- Our joy isn’t based on the perfect Christmas.
- Let’s face it, people won’t cooperate
- Things break down
- Schedules become crazier than the flight schedule at O’Hare on Thanksgiving weekend
- And said to say, tragedies happen
- We remember loved ones who passed away
- A separation or divorce hurts even more this time of year
- Joy comes when we stop being self-centered and become others-centered
- Get a present for someone in need
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen
- Consider why the other person is grumpy
- Have they gone through a tragedy?
- Are they lonely?
- Have they spent all day working retail at the biggest Christmas sale ever?
Our happiness can go up and down with the thermometer. But we can have joy and teach our kids to have it during this busy Christmas season.
