ytmomof4 Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) I'm curious to see what other families have as traditions.My DD8 was in a terrible accident this summer.She loves christmas as much as I do.I would love to make this her best Christmas ever. I'm looking for new traditions or ideas to do that for her Thanks Edited October 11, 2014 by ytmomof4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magickallight Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 (edited) When I was growing up we always lit a candle and sang Happy Birthday to the baby Jesus in the nativity scene before any gifts could be opened, to remind us of the "reason for the season". When my kids were little they were always allowed to open their Christmas PJ's from under the tree on Christmas Eve, then once in them we would always read "The Night Before Christmas" before they went to bed... They are all grown now - but still request me to read the book before they go to their homes when they visit on Christmas Eve each year. Edited October 12, 2014 by magickallight 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmck Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 A few years ago I began getting DD11 a Disney Christmas Ornament, I do it for my granddaughters too. We like going to see the lights in different neighborhoods, make cookies together, go to a live Nativity, decorate her room with snowflakes, wrap her pictures in Christmas paper, a tree in her room, a paper chain etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanyon71 Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 We usually have our normal Christmas Eve get together, then my wife daughter and I open our Christmas PJ's make some hot chocolate, load into the car and drive around looking at lights in the neighborhoods. Our little one (now 3 will be 4 by Christmas this year) usually falls asleep in the car. When we are done looking at the lights we drive home and get her in bed and get ready for Santa to show up. We have been trying to read her a Christmas story before we go out looking at lights also. Christmas day we have been doing a brunch for immediate family with French Toast Casserole, Hash brown casserole and bacon. This year may change things some since it will be our first year living up north (I was born and raised here but moved to FL 16 years ago, wife and daughter are born and raised in FL) though we plan to keep as much of the traditions as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reinholt1 Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 "tradtions" are anything that you do consistanty...as long as it is something that you do for or with your child, it will become "a tradition". I am sorry for the accident your child was in. You did not say what, if any, residual injuries she is recovering from. (Can make a difference in what we suggest. ) Driving around to look at neighborhood decorations is always a fun activity. Getting ornament making kits and making Christmas ornaments is fun and can fill an afternoon or two. (They make a great handmade gift for grandma and grandpa too. Look online on Ebay for the old style sequined ornament kits. They are sparkley and nice looking, better than so much of the cheap, quick "done in 10 minutes" ornament kits that are out there today. I started on those when I was 5 years old. The simple ones are easy enough for a child to do. (I have done them with developmental disabled adults too.) I am sure your 8 year old can handle it. Make Christmas cookies together. Pick a new, kid fun type cookie to make together. (Like stained glass cookies) Make your own yard decorations. There are some really neat ideas for this online. The simplest?? A big hunk of card board and paint. Paint a Santa, a snowman, or a Baby Jesus etc. Poke some holes in the card board and insert some Christmas lights in through the back. Plug it in and set it up. Make a plastic cup ball (here is a no solder iron version.) They are pretty, fun and easy to do. Kids love them. Hang them up outside. All of these things are things that you can do with your child. That is what makes a "tradition". Wishing you both a wonderful holiday season! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytmomof4 Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share Posted October 14, 2014 Thanks for everyone's input keep them coming! My daughter's accident was in July.She was riding a dirtbike lost control and got hit by a car(her fault they say).She is doing pretty well as far as no head injuries nothing to serious.Some paralysis they are saying it could come back but just don't know yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reinholt1sMom Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Will say a prayer for her! Kids have amazing abilities to heal as they grow, something we adults loose the ability to do! I have seen kids at our local peds hospital make liars out of the doctors regularly. (And the docs rejoice when it happens too.) Hopefully your little girl's brain and nervous system can do so some growing and rewiring so the paralysis will be minimal to none! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momlori Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Hometown Christmas parade followed by hot chocolate and sugar cookies. Santa's "Elves" leaving Christmas pjs under their pillows on Christmas eve. Decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving. An advent tree with a new ornament each day that counts down to the star on Christmas eve. Getting a special ornament every year for each child's collection for when they leave home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGndr Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Was your daughter in a children's hospital? Maybe make a special visit and do an activity with kids that are still there? Make ornaments or decorate cookies? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytmomof4 Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 Was your daughter in a children's hospital? Maybe make a special visit and do an activity with kids that are still there? Make ornaments or decorate cookies?Yes she was at a children's hospital.Thats a great idea to go and do a craft with the kids or even make cards to give the kids 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julz0420 Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Do u have younger kids and does she still believe in Santa? If yes and no, maybe have her help play Santa for all but what she gets? I let my dd do that last yr and she loved helping. But we usually do dinner at my aunts. Home by 6pm when A Christmas story comes on. I let the kids open 1 present (pjs) take some pics. Watch tv, eat cookies. Then they head to bed. Driving around looking at lights is a great idea but DS gets carsick so we can't do stuff like that anymore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berry1014 Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 (edited) We spread the christmas magic all through the month. Certain days are spent baking and decorating cookies. We pick a night and make a ginger bread house together, another night will be a PJ night (finger foods like chicken nuggets, pigs in a blanket, cheese and crackers, pepperoni bread, etc) we all grab our pillows a throw blanket and settle down in the living room in our PJs and just watch different Christmas shows/movies. This year the kids said they want to go Christmas Caroling so that may be a possibility. A couple evenings/afternoons will be spent making christmas crafts used to decorate the house and/or gifts for extended family memebers. One of my kids is in the school choir so we go to the school's christmas concert. Thanksgiving weekend will set up small christmas trees in their bedroom and decorate it with fun little ornaments. We also string christmas lights around the inside of their bedroom windows and change out their bed comforters for Christmas quilts. Its make their bedrooms feel festive and they really enjoy it. Dec 1 we have 2 magical elves that come for a visit and stay until the night of Dec 23rd when they return to the north pole. Ours are not the Elf on the shelf type but actual plush elves, a boy and a girl. Some mornings the kids will have to hunt for them and other mornings they kids will wake up to the elves in their beds. (our oldest knows the truth but still goes along with everything since our yougest still believes) Like others we alos go for ride to look at Christmas lights and will check the local paper to see if there are any Christmas related events happening on the area that are free or inexpensive. Edited October 16, 2014 by berry1014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illinoismom Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Love, love, love this idea!Wrap up twenty-five children's books and put them under the tree with a special blanket next to them. Before bed each evening, your kids choose one book to open and read together...until Christmas. Love it 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbybell Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 we do the wrapped book thing, my girls love it-- and it costs me nothing but wrapping paper because they are all books they have had for years I did buy them the new Disney Christmas book this year with 18 Disney Christmas stories in it, so that will be a fun surprise for them to unwrap I also get little things for them (like those crazy erasers- they love those things) and wrap up one a day for them for 24 day. We also do a countdown chain and on the inside of the chain each day is written something special we will do that day for Christmas- go look at Christmas lights, set up the tree, make cards, go buy each other a present at the Dollar Tree, make Christmas cookies, sing Christmas songs, make Christmas crafts, dance to Christmas songs around the tree (their favorite), etc, etc- something different for each day (usually start the day after Thanksgiving)-- my girls love it, and since I have three girls, on gets to pick the book each day, one gets to pull the chain, and one gets to pick the present (it is wrapped all together, but they each get one of whatever it is), then they rotate, surprisingly they are each excited no matter which of the three they get to do that day. I will warn you that it can lead to you being woke up at 6 am asking when you are going to start cookies, crafts, etc and three little girls sitting on top of you unwrapping their gift for the day. This year we have ordered that hide and seek Olaf too (I guess like Elf on the Shelf?? we don't have one of those, so not sure), so I guess we will be hiding him every night for them to find. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytmomof4 Posted October 22, 2014 Author Share Posted October 22, 2014 I love the book idea.That I will definatly start.Thanks Keep them coming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpzazz Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I'm not sure if you are close to a Bass Pro Shop, but they usually have a lot of crafts and events for kids to do there on weekends leading up to Christmas. My nephews enjoyed doing them when my sister would take them. As someone posted earlier, going around the neighborhood looking at decorations is always fun. My favorite memories growing up was looking at the Christmas lights. We live in a small town and each year, the first week of December the basketball team plays in a tournament about 30 miles away. Anyways, on the final night of the tournament, my dad would pick us up from the game and we would drive around their town looking at all the lights. It was always so fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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