We get so caught up in the commercialism of Christmas that we often forget that this entire holiday is really the celebration of Christ's birth. We as adults know this, but it can go right over the children's heads if you allow it to. All they're thinking about is getting an XBox, Dora the Explorer, DJ Hero or the Wii. Older children see it as an opportunity to get some cash from aunts and uncles to go out and buy stuff. The television and all other media shows us sale after sale with jolly, hearty Santas ready to deliver us all these gifts as long as we're willing to go deep into our pockets to pay for it all. Somehow, in the midst of all that the true meaning of this holy day gets lost. It's up to you as the parent and the adult to make sure that doesn't happen. At least not at your house.
Even while you're doing the shopping, the decorating and the cooking, don't forget to sit your children and family down to teach them the real meaning of Christmas. This can be done with books, the holiday programs that come on TV (like the story of Jesus' birth that comes on every year), old pictures of you and your family celebrating Christmas when you were young, and if you are one who still does manage to get there from time to time, holiday church services.
You don't have to shove it down their throats, but do make sure that they know it and understand the true meaning of Christmas. It's not just about what's on sale and what's under the tree.
