It's Almost Christmas!

Family Traditions are a healthy part of a kid's development.  They bind the family members together.  They help kids feel a part of something bigger than themselves.  They teach children how to celebrate, encourage, and mark special events.  They are memories that will last a lifetime and be shared in their own families when they grow up.  Family Traditions are important.

Christmas is a wonderful and easy time to incorporate family traditions.  If you haven't started any in your family, I hope you will this year.  Here are a few that Mark and I had with our kids. 

• Reading the story of Jesus' birth - multiple times; from the Bible and from other books.  (If your child needs a Bible - we sell some in both PeeWeeVille and Creek Kids.  They make great Christmas presents!)
• Having a nativity that the children could "play with"
• Adopting a family to be generous with
• When we opened gifts on Christmas Eve, it was done from a giving perspective.  Each child took a turn giving the gifts they purchased to each member of the family - those gifts were opened one at a time; then the next child was the giver.
• We served at church on Christmas Eve - usually in the same area; and we all sat together in another service on Christmas Eve
• The kids all received new pajamas on Christmas Eve

There are many different traditions.  Please share some that your family practices each year.