When this writer was a child, there was a little artificial Christmas tree that sat in regal splendor, on a miniature table in my bedroom. It had its own set of white lights, a red and green skirt and a lovely plaid bow at the top – standing in for a star. When my family would take vacations, I would be allowed to search out and purchase a few ornaments for the little tree. By the time I as a young man, my tree was fully decorated with shiny red balls featuring the Detroit Red Wings logo (my favorite team) and assorted ornaments from Florida, Vermont, Washington D.C. and Bermuda. Every December, when my mini-Christmas tree would make its grand re-entrance my Mom and Dad and I would travel to all of those places again. We laughed about funny things that happened on those trips, tried hard to remember the stores where the items were purchased (I still like to use my fuzzy photographic memory and recant the layout of those shops) and simply enjoyed each others company as we sat in my room, working on a tradition that was something I had all my own but also reveled in sharing with my parents. I carefully hung all those pieces of my childhood on the tiny faux limbs, one by one.
In an age when many young families are seeking traditions that both remind them of their childhood, a presumably simpler time, yet also fits snuggly into the modern age, a child-sized tree for the young one(s) in your household may be just the thing.
Many tree farms and Christmas tree lots now stock pint size trees. So if you did not want to go the artificial route, you do have the option of buying a new kid’s tree each year. On this, my daughter’s third Christmas season, we finally bought her a tree. It is a fake one, about two feet tall, pre-strung with colored lights and with its own three leg plastic base – all for a mere $14.99 (on sale from $24.99). We picked up two simple ornaments for her to start with this year, so it does not look completely bare – one of which is a ball with Rudolph’s image (from the movie) on it.
Placing a tree in a child’s room allows kids to take pride in their own Christmas display and encourages them to remember all the places visited and things done during their young lives. As a family, you will have fun each year while you reflect on the Christmases, moments, trips and experiences of years gone by.