Latest / 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids. / Holiday Traditions to Make Your Christmas Merry & Bright w/ Host Karen Ferguson

Transcript

Holiday Traditions to Make Your Christmas Merry & Bright w/ Host Karen Ferguson · 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids.

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to another episode of the Five Minute Parenting Podcast.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Karen Ferguson, wife, mom, grandmom, and children's book author with a background in K-8 education and a passion for equipping parents to raise confident and God-confident kids.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: In this podcast, we'll cover parenting practices from both a practical view and a biblical view.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Our goal is to help you raise kids with a positive, godly self-image so they can become all they were created to be.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: I know you're busy, so we'll keep it short.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Let's take just five minutes and dive in.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to Five Minute Parenting.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Karen, your show host, and today I'm talking holiday traditions.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Growing up, every Christmas day looked pretty much the same for our family.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: We'd wake up early to open gifts around the tree, play with our toys and trinkets, then dress up to travel to my aunt's house for an elaborate meal.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: It was the entire family around the double-leafed dining room table, stuffing our mouths, talking and laughing at the stories my dad and aunt would tell about the good old days.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: It was a simple celebration, but something I could count on every year.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: It was predictable, but in the most warm, cozy sort of way.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: Well, as a mom, I approached holiday traditions differently.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: I can count on my hands the number of times I prepared an elaborate meal on Christmas Day where everyone sat around the table eating on our finest china.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: No, instead, I invested more in the moments leading up to the big day.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: When our girls were young, I made a point to do special things in December that would be memorable.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Whether that was an experience or a craft, I would often try new things each year to mix it up.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: You've heard the saying, variety is the spice of life, right?
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I have found that to be true.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: Now I realize Christmas is just around the corner, but it's not too late to try something new this year to spice up your holidays.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: I'm only including a few ideas here for the sake of time, but you'll find 14 time-tested traditions to make your Christmas merry and bright over on my blog at Karen Ferg.com.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: So, how about sharing the love and baking goodies, not just for your family, but for your neighbors and friends too?
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: This was one of my all-time favorite traditions with my girls, and it's been a joy over the years to delight our friends and neighbors with their own special goodie basket.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: We have a few staple recipes, but also try a couple new ones each year, aiming for about five different types of goodies to bake and share and eat, of course.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: My all-time favorite is the peanut butter kiss cookie.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's super simple to make.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's a classic Betty Crocker recipe, but now that I am more health conscious, I do recommend trying a cleaner version.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll have a link to one option in the show notes for you.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: Do you watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special?
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: I may be dating myself here, but I've watched this show since the 70s and I never get tired of it.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's a throwback to simpler times.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: And the message at the end always brings me to tears.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, the mainstream media isn't airing it any longer, but you can stream it on Apple TV or Amazon Prime.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have a closet competitor in your family?
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: They will love this one.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: How about a no-holds bar gingerbread house competition?
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: Costco is the best place to buy these because they're such great prices.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: And if you divide up into teams or go head to head with someone, vote on the best one and have a victory gift at the end, it adds a little extra motivation and fun to the decorating process.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: And we all know making a good-looking gingerbread house is just not as easy as Hallmark makes it look.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Well, what about the elf on a shelf?
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: This one we've started more recently with my adult kids, but oh man, it is so much fun.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: Hiding and discovering this little guy makes every day a surprise.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: We have found him in some very interesting places and positions that make for some good laughs, too.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: If you're concerned this may take away from the real meaning of Christmas, there are Christian elf on a shelf ideas that I will link to in the show notes.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Well, one simple way we've kept the main thing, the main thing at Christmas is a birthday cake for Jesus.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: And it's something we continued with our adult girls because they enjoyed it so much, and now with our grandkids.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Baking a special cake for Jesus and singing him happy birthday on Christmas Eve is just one more way to keep him at the center of the season.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: Ours has always been a white confetti cake with sprinkles on top, signifying his purity and pure celebration for Emmanuel, God with us.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: I've included a little history behind this practice in the show notes, so be sure to check that out.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: And lastly, we read Luke 2, 1 to 20 before we open gifts.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: Reading the account of Jesus' birth brings everything in proper perspective, and it's heartwarming to sit as a family and honor that truth before diving into the presence.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that is it for today.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: Be sure to check the show notes for links to the resources mentioned and to more ideas.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: And however you choose to spend the holidays this year, I am wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: Are you looking for creative, biblically based books for that special child in your life?
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: Would you like to inspire in your child a love for reading and a love for God's Word?
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: Check out Questions for Kids, a picture book series your whole family can enjoy.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: You'll follow the adventures of Lucy and her Papa Joe as they journey into the Bible to discover unique periods in Bible history, getting answers to life's important questions and learning all about God's never-changing, never-failing, and never-ending love.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: Each book counters the cultural narrative by diving into the Bible to explore the people, places, and events that will help shape a strong faith in God.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: With these delightfully illustrated books, you'll help build your child's biblical literacy one bold, beautiful book at a time.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: You'll find the Questions for Kids series by Karen Ferguson on Bookshop, Amazon, at your favorite book retailer, or visit Karen's website at Karenferg.com.