I have just come back from visiting a friend who is having trouble sorting out
the arrangements over Christmas Dinner with her ex. I thought that maybe I
should encourage her to refocus her priorities, by reminding her of something
important. Right now she is creating a blueprint of how she handles this
magical time for her kids - and she is in the process of making and creating
memories for them that will last for their lifetimes.
So often people focus on the stress of Christmas but I like to focus on the
positive things in life. You can leave creating a great time and wonderful
memories to chance, or you can weave the magic tapestry of a wonderful
experience of Christmas with your family through great design and planning.
Here are five ideas to conjure up that extra bit of magic in your Christmas, or
holiday time:
IDEA 1: Imagine it
Just take a little time now to close your eyes, take in a couple of deep relaxing
breaths and visualise in a perfect world how you'd like your Christmas to
look... and sound.. and feel... make the picture really colourful, brighter and
really up close to you... and perhaps you could imagine just stepping into the
picture or film that you have running in your head and really imagine being in
there. Imagine I have waved a magic wand and have made things just as you
would really want... and do this over and over again until it feels real. You'll
start to notice the difference in how much more relaxed you immediately feel
and you’ll start to notice what seems to unfold as if by magic from now on!
IDEA 2: Capture the Memories
Take lots of digital photos during family get-togethers. Upload the photos to
a family photo-sharing site (I recommend: www.DropShots.com; it's safe and
secure, and photos are not shared publicly or indexed by search engines) and
send the link to everyone.
During your get-togethers have family pictures and albums available from
previous holidays. They can stimulate conversations and warm memories of
Christmases past and - of important people who might no longer be around
anymore.
Get the music cranked up and blaring in your house! From Christmas Carols
to Slade or Lena Lewis! And ask everyone in your family what their favourite
songs are and go online to i-tunes, find the songs, download them, make a
copy for everyone to keep as a great memory and a personal little pressie to
give to them. Everyone's favourite Christmas holiday music all captured on
one CD - what a special gift and memory!
IDEA 3: Box O’ Wishes
This idea comes from Oprah Winfrey… place a small box at everyone's place
setting containing an index card for each person. Ask everyone to answer one
or more of these questions about each person there and put the answers into
their box.
Example questions are:
• What I love about you is…
• Thank you for…
• My Christmas wish for you is…
Everyone will leave with perhaps the most meaningful gift they have ever
received—a box of love and good wishes from everyone at the party. This
is really a lovely moment as it also sets the tone and frame of mind for your
entire time together!
IDEA 4: Box O’ Questions
Everyone thinks up and writes down 2 to 3 questions on topics they would like
to know about each other or, as host, you can create a list of questions. The
questions need to be general enough so they can be answered by anyone.
Put all the questions in a box and pass it around to each person to select and
answer.
Example questions are:
• What is your favourite childhood memory?
• What is the most important life lesson you learned from your parents?
• Who was your childhood best friend and what made them so special?
• What was school like for you as a child? What were your best and worst
subjects?
• Who were your childhood heroes and why?
• What accomplishments are you the most proud of?
• What is your most important goal for the next 3 to 5 years?
IDEA 5: Time Versus Trinkets
For your close family and friends, instead of marching through the shopping
centres to find the “perfect gift,” the most meaningful gift you can give is your
time. Along with a card filled with thoughtful sentiments, enclose half-a-dozen
experiences you are giving for them for the coming year.
Examples are:
• A picnic at a special place.
• A trip to the beach or the snowy mountains or a lovely river.
• A football game, a local fair, a film, a special lunch outing at their favourite
restaurant, etc.
• An entire day when you will do anything they want you to do or accompany
them anywhere—without complaint!
Explore, get creative and relax and I really wish you and your family a warm,
wonderful and especially meaningful Christmas holiday!
Have a magical time!
Sue Atkins is a featured Wisdio Parenting Expert, Broadcaster, Speaker and
Author of the Amazon best selling book "Raising Happy
Children for Dummies" one in the famous black and yellow
series and the highly acclaimed Parenting Made Easy CDs.
She has just launched her 1st Parenting Made Easy app for
iPhones and iPads. She is currently writing a new book for Random House
called “Parenting Made Easy” which will be available in April
2012
Sue offers practical guidance for bringing up happy,
confident, well behaved children from toddler to teen. She regularly appears on BBC Breakfast and The Jeremy
Vine Show on BBC Radio 2 and is the parenting expert for
many BBC Radio Stations around the UK. She has a regular
monthly parenting phone- in on BBC Radio Surrey & Sussex
and her parenting articles are published all over the world.
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