Trying to keep children out from under the Christmas tree is hard enough for a two-parent home but then as a single parent the challenge grows. The Christmas holidays are so exciting. People mill about, hurrying to complete the holiday shopping. The neighborhood is lit up with bright Christmas lights, front lawns are dotted with twinkling reindeer, and Santa is sitting on the roof. Mothers are busy in the kitchen preparing sweet holiday goodies while the air is filled with the fragrance of hot butter rum.
Then as you look at the Christmas tree, you find ribbons, shiny ornaments, little twinkling lights, and beautifully wrapped presents. Now, add in the children and the holiday is complete but with one small problem. Every time you turn your back, you hear paper rattling and little whispers. As you peek around the corner, you see little hands lifting packages, peeling back paper, shaking, sniffing, and doing whatever possible to get a hint of what is inside.
The holidays make everyone a little hyperactive and crazy but when it comes to children often times, the temptation is more than they can handle. Usually, you start with a nicely decorated room only to end up with scattered packages and a few ornaments rolling across the floor. You keep thinking there must be something you can do, some way to keep the holidays in order without constantly disciplining the children. I have the perfect solution!
Each year, choose a specific color of bow for each child. For example, if you had three children, choose red for the oldest, white for the middle child, and then green for the youngest. Here is the trick – the packages would have no name on the bow and since the bow color is changed from year to year, the children would have no idea what presents belong to whom. The result is that all the shaking, poking, and sniffing stop for the most part. The first year they may try to solve the puzzle a couple of times but soon they will give up.
This little tip teaches your child to be patient. As wonderful as the holidays are, they also tend to bring out the greediness in all of us, which is perfectly normal, especially for children. By keeping the kids out from underneath the Christmas tree, they can learn to enjoy other important aspects of the holiday. When children learn how to control their actions, it provides them with a sense of accomplishment and while they may grumble a little at first, they will learn something valuable.
Emergency Kits Make Great Christmas Presents
5 Creative “Gifts” for Baby’s First Christmas