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As modern-age mothers, one of the main duties to our children (besides keeping them alive and well-fed) is to make their childhoods magical. You see this sentiment online all the time: “Don’t mind the mess, we’re making memories”, “Let them be little” and “The days are long, but the years are short”. These are all sayings with which mothers of young children are very familiar.
Sometimes, amidst the throes of tantrum-throwing three-year-olds and teething babies, having these inspirational quotes thrown in your face is not helpful.
As my children get older, their Santa wish lists get longer and more expensive
As your children become more independent, however, the realities of how quickly they grow up start to sink in. And yes, you want to make their childhood a magical one, especially during the festive season.
As my children get older, their Santa wish lists get longer and more expensive for the man in red. Influences from friends at school and childcare, combined with a constant barrage of ads with catchy taglines (my youngest marches around the house singing “If I were a toy” every day) made this year’s letters to Santa look more like hostage negotiations than the simple, cute notes sent in years past. There was a lot less of, “How are you, Santa? How are your elves?” chitchat, replaced with a much longer list of demands.
I remember the iced biscuits my mam would bake weeks in advance and keep stored in the freezer
As adults, many of our happiest childhood memories revolve around Christmas and how our families made us feel. I remember the iced biscuits my mam would bake weeks in advance and keep stored in the freezer. She would decorate them with sugar pearls and chopped candied cherries. Every now and then, my brothers and I could have one straight from the freezer. It’s not your everyday Christmas memory, but the way those slightly thawed biscuits tasted is etched in my mind forever. Now, I decorate and store my biscuits the same way.
Obviously, in Ireland we don’t always have that snowy weather, but in our family we have made Stephen’s Day hikes a new tradition
Other Christmas memories I cherish involve outdoor activities; playing in the snow with my siblings or going tobogganing with my cousins. The adults would watch us from inside the warm house, drinking brandy-laced eggnog and laughing at our antics. Obviously, in Ireland we don’t always have that snowy weather, but in our family we have made Stephen’s Day hikes a new tradition and we do our best to get outside and enjoy the countryside.
I know that when I was a child my wish list was quite long; Barbies, play kitchens and kittens (real ones) always featured heavily. However, with money tight for the man in red, it was always explained to my siblings and I that Santa doesn’t bring everything on our lists.
It’s the experiences and the people I remember most fondly
The Christmas that features most heavily in my mind was the year that I finally got the kitten I’d asked for. Otherwise, the toys, presents and other material items have largely vanished from memory. It’s the experiences and the people I remember most fondly. In fact, that kitten was the gift that kept on giving, she lived to the ripe, old age of 20, adding to an entire childhood’s worth of fond memories.
They got one or two items from their Santa list and a few other gifts from my husband and myself
This Christmas, my kids didn’t get everything on their wish lists. They didn’t get a €200 doll house (they already have a perfectly good one!). They didn’t get any gadgets, because they are all very young and they don’t need anything like that. They got one or two items from their Santa list and a few other gifts from my husband and myself. They are thrilled. They barely remember the items for which they originally asked. They were busy playing together and with their cousins, eating goodies and going out on their bikes and scooters.
As demonstrated in years past, they forget about their new toys within one or two months
Each Christmas I commit to buying fewer plastic items and more books. Fewer electronic devices and more tickets to plays and musicals. Fewer toy dinosaurs and more trips to the museum. Fewer selection boxes and more hand-decorated biscuits. As demonstrated in years past, they forget about their new toys within one or two months, but they will remember the day trips, stories shared and fun activities for the rest of their lives.
Wishing you lots of great experiences in the new year.
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