Take back Christmas

2 CommentsTuesday • December 6, 2011 • by Matthew Connors

I’ve been reading and hearing a lot of negativity about Christmas on Twitter, blogs, the news, and radio. It appears that Christmas is taking a verbal smackdown. I realize that the backlash is directed at the commercial sector’s abuse of Christmas rather than the season itself. Indeed, Christmas has been tainted by the commercialization. In all likelihood I would be one of the voices deriding the season if not for one thing: my kids.

My kids’ innocence, excitement, and seasonal cheer is infectious. Their chicken-scratch lists of wanted gifts, the magazines filled with circled items, their excitement at seeing Santa, the laugh-filled tree decorating, their addiction to candy canes, their joy at seeing family more frequently than usual, the X’ed off calendar days counting down to the 24th, all bring a freshness and anticipation to Christmas in

our house.

It’s important not to let the commercial infection of Christmas deflect the excitement we should feel at this time of year whatever our beliefs and religious base. Granted, as parents we walk a fine line between balancing the omnipresent commercial aspects while working to instill the true meaning of Christmas as we see it (raised Catholic but no longer actively practicing). We don’t want to take away the excitement of gift-wrapped boxes and new toys, but my wife and I reiterate the messages of giving, family, and love during this season.

Certainly things have changed from when I was young. I was ecstatic to get GI Joe figures or a Star Wars ship. Now my kids are asking for laptops and iPods. My 3 year old keeps asking Santa for a Nintendo DS and she can’t even spell it. We are inundated and targeted earlier and earlier in the season with the advertisements and commercial pressures that accompany Christmas, but that doesn’t have to be the focus for us or children.

We’ll enjoy this season through the eyes of our children. Much of parenting is like walking a tightrope the trick is not to get so hung-up on the dangers that you miss the beautiful view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in: Blog

Tagged with: Fun, Kids, People, Photography, Seasonal, Thoughts