How to Make this Christmas Season Less Stressful (and Better than Ever)

If your kids believe in Santa, you can still implement the tradition of giving three gifts to each child.  Share the true story of Saint Nicholas and how he wanted to bless needy children during the celebration of Christ’s birth to spread the love and joy of the real meaning of Christmas.  There is a great VeggieTales movie, currently on Netflix and available online, that beautifully and hilariously tells the true story of Saint Nicholas.  It is called “St. Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving”.  Our kids adored it.  Check it out!

Whenever Dave and I try to start or simplify Christmas traditions for our family, we always try to think about what our children will really remember and cherish from each Christmas season.  If I had to choose my most favorite Christmas memory, it would have to be the one when I was around six years old.  I had asked Santa to bring me a scooter, but not just any old scooter.  I wanted one that had musical notes on the footboard.  Yes, this was a totally random request, but I had my heart set on it.  So, Christmas morning, I woke up around 3 a.m. and heard some commotion coming from our living room.  I quietly tiptoed into the room only  to find Mom and Dad putting my beloved scooter beside the tree.  I had a mixture of emotions.  I was so excited to see the scooter, musical notes and all; but, I was horrified to see Mom and Dad putting it beside the tree.  Where was Santa?  Why were Mom and Dad putting all the gifts by the tree?  My parents, who were just as freaked out as I was, very calmly told me to go back to bed.  They said the whole experience was “just a dream”, and I, being extremely gullible, believed them wholeheartedly and snuggled back into my bed.

I think this is my favorite memory because I not only got the gift I asked for, but I knew my parents went to great effort to get that very special gift for me.  Mom even painted each little musical note on the footboard by hand!  I can’t tell you what else I received that Christmas, but I can tell you that I felt loved.  That is what Christmas is all about.  It is an extra-special time when we can pause and be extra-thankful, extra-loving, extra-forgiving, and extra-generous with our time, resources, and expression of love.  I want my kids to clearly see and experience this truth in our family traditions.  The very first Christmas was and is the greatest news the Earth has ever received after all.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:22-23

For more on how to manage Christmas stress, be sure to check out and subscribe to our NEW podcast, The Naked Marriage. Also, you can pre-order our NEW book by the same name, The Naked Marriage, and get some freebies with it right HERE.