Some of the amazing things that kids do throughout the year are better than any gift they can give you on Christmas morning.
Ah, Christmas is getting so close and we are all looking forward to a time to rest and enjoy the time with family and friends.
It is a time when the world usually stops (if you are lucky enough to be off work) and it is a special time. It is also a wonderful time to sit back and take stock of your life and to really think about the things that you are grateful for, like how incredibly special your kids are!
In fact, some of the amazing things that kids do throughout the year are better than any gift they can give you on Christmas morning.
1. Make you proud
Children are the apple of our eye and they make us proud every single day. Whether it's placing the sheep in the school nativity play or singing their heart out in the local choir, these unique experiences will make you so happy! And the pride you feel is better than any feeling in the world. It really is the simple things.
2. Being kind to their friends
Kindness is sometimes overrated but it shouldn’t be as at Christmas time (or any time) people should be kind and considerate of others. Watching your kids be kind to others makes parents feel happy that they are doing something right. Your kid may ask after the homeless person and offer to give them something or your child may include the quiet kid in a game at school. Whatever it is, kindness wins and that is a great feeling for parents. Kindness is everything after all.
3. Doing well at stuff
That doesn’t mean they have to win everything but that they make a good effort to do well and love what they do. They are happy to join others to be successful as a team and they are always committed to doing well at stuff though they may need to work hard. That commitment is another part of a parent's pride and makes the early morning trips to the matches worth it or hours spent at dancing or singing classes.
4. Spending time together
There is no price on time and as everyone is so busy time with friends and family is so vitally important. Spending a few days with your kids over Christmas is the best and it can’t ever be better than any gift. Christmas is more than gifts and it is about the experiences. It is guaranteed that children probably won’t remember what they got for Christmas each year, but they will remember the time the family spent together. This time is precious.
5. Make you laugh
Kids make parents laugh more than anyone else in the world. Toddlers are funny, and babies are too. Even older children are and as you watch them learn it is so much fun! Laughing makes everyone happy and therefore, doing so is the best gift of all. Laughing can make everyone feel instantly happier and that is powerful stuff.
Instead of worrying about what you don’t have this Christmas, try treasuring the beauty of what you do have. Happy Christmas!
Emma Hayes is a thirty-something mum of two girls aged 16 and 10, planting her right into the teenage and tween-age years! Follow her on Twitter at @EmmaHayes25.
