My kids do all the Christmas decorating in our house. Mom and dad are just their elves to help. This tradition started last year. During our very merry COVID Christmas I was zapped of all my energy. I'm sure most you all felt the same way. The emotional toll of last year took a toll on me physical and I could not bring myself to do all that is required for Christmas decorating. Bringing up the totes, unwrapping all the decorations, finding a place for everything, and all the rest of the things that go with making the house a winter a wonderland seemed completely overwhelming last year. As a result of my exhaustion I crafted a plan to help. My girls would be the ones to decorate for Christmas and I have to say this was one of the best ideas I've ever come up with.
The tradition was such a success we decided to continue letting the girls decorate the whole house this year. My husband brought up all the totes from the basement. We opened up the Christmas boxes and the girls unwrapped everything and put it wherever they wanted it to go. Things that were too high for them to reach were dictated to the two taller children, me and my husband, on where it should go. My little independent women loved it. They loved every moment of decorating their house for Christmas. They loved every moment of hanging all the ornaments on the tree. They loved every moment of putting window clings onto every window in the house. After seeing the joy in my girls faces the first time we let them decorate I knew I was going to let them do it every year after.
We own a lot of super glue. When kids are decorating your house for Christmas things are going to get broken. Especially when those kids are nine, six, and two years old. Broken Christmas decorations are part of the day and that is why we have super glue. My mom has been getting me a nutcracker every year since my husband and I got engaged. Those are really the only decorations that I put out. However, even though I am more careful than the girls with decorations I still have a nutcracker that keeps losing an arm. Everything can be fixed and even if it can't be fixed it is just a thing. I do not own one thing in this house that is more important than my children’s happiness and that includes all my Christmas decorations.
The happiness of my children brings me immense Christmas joy. I honestly started this tradition out of what I thought was a huge failure as a mother. Being completely worn down with no end on the horizon I was definitely in survival mode last year. I could not have imagined how much I would love having my kids decorating for Christmas. Watching my girls take out all the ornaments and play with them like they are toys is heart filling. Watching my girls excitement when they see one of their faces on an ornament is a contagious passion, Watching my girls marvel at all the beauty of the decorations is awe inspiring. I love seeing Christmas through their eyes and letting them decorate just seems to start off the season right.
My house does not look like an HGTV Christmas house. My house will never be featured on a holiday magazine. My house will never go viral on social media as "The Best Christmas Decor". However, my house is decorated perfectly. With this new freedom I can do Christmas stuff I love. I can bake all the Christmas goodies, shop for all the Christmas presents, and sing all the Christmas songs as loud as I can. My girls are constantly playing with our decorations and moving things around on a daily basis. Every time they find a new spot for something in the house their is a twinkle behind their eyes. Someday I will decorate alone. Someday things will stay in their places. Someday nothing will be broken. Those are days I'm not looking forward too. I will now let me girls decorate for as long as it is bringing them joy and I will cherish each moment of it. Wishing you all a joy filled and stress free holiday season.
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