It's that time of year. The days are short, the nights are long, there's a permanent chill in the air, and the faint sound of jingle bells is ringing in the distance... it's time to start decorating for the holidays!
We're all collectively feeling that pressure to have a magazine cover-worthy, perfectly color-coordinated, dream of a Christmas tree: flawlessly draped ribbons, gorgeous glass ornaments, lights that dazzle the room in a perfect warm glow, and the cozy vibes that are unique to this time of year. But when you have kids, the reality is that if you try to make that Christmas dream come to life, you'll be dealing with a month of shattered ornaments, a bare bottom half of your tree, and constantly yelling "Don't touch that!" to your little ones, during a season that's supposed to be joyful.
How do you manage the holiday stress? It's easy! Just hand over some of the decorating responsibility to the kids! Let go of the dream of a perfect Christmas tree and let your kiddos make some holiday magic themselves!
The key to success here is to completely let go of the mindset that wants a perfect tree, and start focusing on making a happy tree. Aesthetic perfection is great, and makes for wonderful holiday photos, but making family memories is really what the season is about.
Kids aren't going to consider your "vision" for your holiday decor, nor do they care about balance or refined aesthetics. Let go of all control, and just hand over the entire bottom half of the tree to them. The taller parts of the tree that are safe and completely out of reach are still your spot to decorate however you wish, but you gotta give the rest of the tree to the kids. Sit back and enjoy watching your little ones dress the tree! Little kids just stumble around, laughing, enjoying all of the sparkly magical Christmas lights and glittery decor, and you'll have a great time just watching them. It's also an amazing way to let your little ones use their imagination, express themselves creatively, and grow confidence as they make decisions about the decorations they choose.
Christmas trees aren't supposed to be an anxiety-inducing fine art installation, it's a magical (and maybe messy) family scrapbook. Your kids aren't going to remember color-coordinated ribbons, your great great grandmother's gilded glass ornaments from the 1800's, or watching you spend hours hanging lights and wreaths and garlands around the living room. They'll remember the joy of being together, and the excitement they felt being allowed to join in on decorating for Christmas!
Let the littles play around and do their thing. Once they've finalized the finishing touches on their work, that's when you can swoop in and edit. Your toddler will probably try to hang fourteen heavy ornaments all on the same tree branch, or put their neon, glitter-soaked preschool art projects front and center. Move things around, refine their work, but don't take anything away. This is their part of the tree to decorate, not yours, so let them keep as much of the holiday magic they're making as possible.
This practice isn't just about letting your kids take over and having total control over Christmas, it's about letting them join in on making the holiday magic. Sure, your tree's bottom half might just be covered in clumps of paper snowflakes, but that's part of the magic, and the stuff that good family memories are made of.
Balance your kids' chaotic decorations with one or two heirloom-quality keepsake ornaments. Pick ornaments that are made of soft, durable fabric that won't shatter like the ones in your heavy box of glass ornaments. This is also a great way to start a new Christmas tradition of collecting one or two new fabric ornaments every year, and building a collection of new ornaments for your tree that grows with each holiday season. Our favorites come from Mon Ami, a European brand that produces heirloom quality keepsakes and gifts. They're adorable, kid-loved, durable enough to be played with, and won't break into pieces when your kids drop them!
So, are you still team "aesthetic designer tree," or are you going to hand over the bottom half of the Christmas tree to the kids this year? Make sure you check out our Holiday Shop for seasonal apparel, accessories, gifts, and all of your other holiday needs!
From everyone in the Wrightsville Ave family, we wish you a happy holiday season full of joy, family memories, and festive cheer!