Family Advent Traditions

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Family Advent Traditions Begin some new family traditions, and let go of those that no longer have meaning for you. Here are some new traditions to help deepen your family’s spirituality as you celebrate this season: Make decorating your Christmas tree a soulful vent.Light candles, play music, put ome cider on the stove to warm, and let he answering machine pick up calls. When you string the lights, talk about the power of light in your lives and how we are each beacons of positive light in the world. When the cord becomes tangled and you’re about to lose control, take a deep breath, have a sip of cider, and begin again. You might even roll out your sleeping bags and sleep snuggled under the newly decorated tree. Prepare a gift food basket for grandparents or other special relatives and friends.Include their favorite treats—especially something they would not buy for themselves. Write a letter or make a card for each family member, listing 10 things you love about them.This is a gift of your time, effort and love, and will be kept and remembered for a lifetime. On Christmas morning sit around the tree and read them out loud. Experience a new worship tradition durin the holidays.Attend a children’s pageant, a choir concert, a bellringing service, or an outdoor Living Nativity scene. Get the whole family outside together as often as possible.Nature reminds us of our place in the world, fills us with wonder appropriate to the season and helps restore our souls—and it’s free! Take a family walk, have a sledding party or marshmallow roast. Make an Advent wreath.Pray, read Scripture, and talk about its meaning. Your children will delight in the event, no matter their age. Don’t forget the critters!Make “ornaments” for the birds using pine , peanut butter, and bird seed. Leave a few carrots for the bunnies. Plan Family Nights.Mark dates on your calendar when your family will spend time together to see Christmas lights, write holiday cards together, or gather around while you read a favorite holiday story. Try to keep TV off during the holidays.Seeing all the advertisements can make you anxious about what you might have forgotten or didn’t buy. It can

also cause your kids to want more, and more, and more stuff. Stop by church with your kids during a quiet time when there is no service. Explain the symbols, talk about the upcoming holiday and its significance, and think about those who have prayed in this holy place before you. Encourage family spirit by creating opportunities and rituals for sibling cooperation.Maybe the kids are in charge of planning a party for their friends at your hone, making secret gifts as a team, or concocting a festive breakfast menu. Who needs a fancy dinner with all the trimmings this year? Insteadmake a feast out of leftovers or order takeout.The atmosphere of joy and ease is what your kids will remember. Save all those wonderful photographs you receive in Christmas cards.Come January 1, bring out one photo a day, place it in the center of your kitchen table, and remember the people pictured with prayers for their peace and joy in the New Year. Mimi Doe, the founder of Spiritual Parenting.com and the awardwinning author ofNurturing Your Teenager’s Soul, Busy But Balanced, 10 Principles for Spiritual Parenting,and coauthor ofDon’t Worry, You’ll Get In.Mimi's free newsletter, Spiritual Parenting, has more than 30,000 subscribers from around the world. Sign up on the website: www.SpiritualParenting.com. (Adapted).

When we weave ceremonies, celebrations, and traditions throughout our children’s days, we give them a feeling of predictability, a comforting connection with home and family, and a sense of the sacred. Intimate family celebrations help us slow down, come fully into the present moment, and escape the frenzy of the world “out there.” Kids raised with meaningful traditions seem to have a sense of spirituality and wonder, a connection with nature, and a strong relationship with their families. It’s a safe guess that many of their childhood traditions will live on in future generations. Mimi Doe, the founder of Spiritual Parenting.com and the awardwinning author ofNurturing Your Teenager’s Soul, Busy But Balanced,and10 Principles for Spiritual Parenting.

Do the holidays at your house have to be perfect?The gifts wrapped just so… the decorations hung on the tree like this… the Christmas cookies decorated exactly right. Sound familiar? The holidays can bring on a lot of extra pressure—if you let them. To avoid that intensity, be flexible. If traditions turn out a little differently this year, that’s OK. If the kids don’t hang the ornaments on the tree just right, let it go. Instead, focus on enjoying your family and friends in the spirit of the season. www.FamilyFirst.net

Provided by The Marriage and Family Life Office, Diocese of Columbus Also available online atwww.FamilyLife.colsdioc.org