Christmas Day is quickly approaching, hopefully, everyone is in full Holiday mode. It’s super easy during this time for stress to creep into our atmosphere, even for our children. Suddenly, we feel all this pressure to make sure everyone gets to all the Christmas performances, we have the perfect gifts for those pesky co-workers and of course, lavishing our families with the latest and greatest gadgets. No wonder people feel stressed during what should be a joy filled time. Here’s some simple tips to help navigate a Merry Christmas.
- Remember what it’s all about; Christmas is a time for us to have a free pass to convey love towards one another. It’s the one time of year you get to be kind on purpose so we should all eat it up. Look for simple special ways to express how much people mean to you. Kindness doesn’t have to cost anything.
- Make memories not debt; Special evenings together as a family are the things we as adults cherish from our childhoods. Time together making holiday cookies, playing board games together, drinking hot chocolate and watching Christmas movies, these things are far more valuable than the latest video games. When your kids are telling stories to their children, they’re not going to remember what toys they got, they’re going to remember all the Christmas songs you sang off key.
- Stick to a budget; Nothing kills the Christmas mood like a hefty credit card statement. Decide on a budget before all the chaos begins and stick to it. Using cash instead of a credit/debit card not only gives you a visual of how fast your money is leaving you but also slows your mind down so you can truly decide if that really is a must have gift.
- Share the true meaning of Christmas with your children; Make sure your children understand that Christmas is not about just getting presents but about expressing the love of Christ to the world. Love and compassion for one another is the greatest gift of all. Find ways for your children to have opportunity to be a blessing to someone else so they can learn how good it feels to help to be a giver.
It is our sincerest hope at Elevate Martial Arts that your family will come together making beautiful memories to last a lifetime. From our family to yours Merry Christmas.