Cartoon of Santa chasing his sleigh. The caption reads, “Thanks to a joy ride, Christmas was nearly canceled!”
I don’t know why Santa would trust those elves. They always looked a little too mischievous for my taste.
Google is helping Santa Claus this year. Apparently, you can track where he’s at using Santa’s Dashboard.
I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas. And if you hear a clatter on your rooftop, it may be those crazy elves taking a joy ride!
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:
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.
Cartoon of a son and his mother at breakfast. The son says, “I want something different for breakfast. What about seven-layer bean dip?”
Amy McCready has some great advice on Positive Parenting Solutions about child nagging and negotiating. Her solution is to say three simple words: “Ask and Answered.”
It can be hard to stand firm when you are pummeled with the “Why can’t I’s?” and the “but ple-e-e-e-e-ases?” But it’s so important to stand firm, especially when a child asks for something unreasonable.
Another solution that has worked for me is think first before you say “no.” Consider your answer before you give it. Sometimes, we say no because it is inconvenient for us as a parent. If the request is reasonable, and can even become a shared experience with your child, consider the request before you give them a nay.
But once you made your answer known, don’t be wishy-washy. That is only leads to misery when they are persistent at the next request.
Be strong and courageous (and consider your no’s before you make them!).
Cartoon of a boy with a football helmet. He says to his mom, “I’m ready to hit the Black Friday sales with you.
I was watching some football and was assaulted by all the Black Friday ads. I’m not sure which game is rougher: the tackling or the shopping. Be safe out there, warriors!
Cartoon of a husband and a wife with a musket. The wife says, “We’re having a traditional Thanksgiving. Here’s a musket. The turkey is in the backyard.”
It’s the holiday season in the United States and all the expectations for a perfect holiday begin tomorrow when we all gather for a feast. Unfortunately, some of those hopes will be dashed before someone says, “Pass the cranberries.”
My mom was a nurse, which meant she had to work many holidays. One of the benefits of that was while we had holiday traditions, they were flexible. We didn’t have to do the same thing every year. We could move things around our calendar, or even save an event until the next year.
That came in handy for me as a became an adult. One Thanksgiving, my poor wife had the flu. We dutifully shipped our son to the grandparents while I tended to my ill spouse. It was one unconventional Thanksgiving. She didn’t want to eat anything and I searched for a restaurant that was open.
As you begin this festive time of year, I would encourage you to be flexible. Go with the flow. Kids and spouses get sick. Relatives will probably never act the way you’d expect. Travel will always have some headaches. When it’s all over, it may be the unconventional memories you will cherish anyway.
