At 2 years old, my daughter does not grasp the concept of the holidays and all the hoopla that goes into them. She knows there are items in boxes that she can open and is fascinated by the lights on the tree. She quickly discovered that ornaments break, and we, her parents, realized how high the fragile ornaments actually need to be. She does not yet know the stress that goes into the perfect Christmas and how this wonderful holiday may not be as calm for her parents as it is for her.
Instead of stressing out, my husband and I have tried making the Christmas holiday simple when it comes to the gifts we give our loved ones, the ones we buy each other, and the donations we give to the community. Ever since our daughter was an infant, we have picked an organization and made a donation in her name. As she gets older, we’ll let her pick the organization.
We tend to buy her presents secondhand and put careful thought into what she gets.
Realistically, the items are strewn across the living room within 15 minutes, so the less we need to clean up the better. Our lights on the porch may be white and simple, but they add a special kind of beauty to our home. An elaborate meal is nice, but we try not to stress over it. I prefer to spend more time eating than cleaning up, and a simple dish allows that to happen. Although we may see family the day before or day after, Christmas Day is just ours. It is a day to be together and soak up the beauty that surrounds us.
When it comes to birthdays and holidays, you do you. If you prefer elegance and elaborate decor, awesome! We will drive by and enjoy the spectacular view from our car. If you want to share a portion of the delicious meal, you won’t find me saying no to leftovers. However, when it comes to our family, we do what works for us. In the end, it makes Christmas all the merrier.
