Tips for Including Children in Christmas House Decorating

Christmas is an exciting time of the year. Young children find it especially so. Their excitement can be a source of frustration for the parents who are often swamped with all the extra work the Christmas season brings.

Why not take advantage of your child’s enthusiasm and unending energy? Put them to work for you. Obviously, you will need to take their ages into account but kids of any age can be useful.

Here are some ways you can keep your kids busy:

1. Cleaning. This should be easy enough. Just tell them ‘Santa won’t come if the house is messy’, or ‘We can’t decorate because of the mess’.
2. Decorating. Kids love to decorate. Supply them with your stash of Christmas decoration (less the breakable ones!) and turn them loose. They will come up with some original ideas – which you may or may not like. Stay close by to help them hang things and offer alternatives if you don’t like their ideas but mostly let them do it.
3. The Tree. Let your children decorate the tree. You may have to hang the lights first but after that let them go. Make sure and provide a stool or chair for them to stand on so they can reach the top – or stay close by and help them.
4. Gift buying. Choosing gifts for kids is always hard. The solution could be your other children. Have each child make a gift list for your other kids. Your children probably have a good idea of what their siblings would like. If your children are younger you may need to ‘interview’ them and do the writing yourself.
5. Gift wrapping. Let your children wrap the gifts for their siblings or their parents. It is not about how perfect the gift is wrapped. Sometimes the wrapping itself is good for a laugh and some fun rivalry.
6. Baking. If you are a baker then get the kids involved. If they are older then let them choose and bake some cookies, popcorn or other treats. If your kids are younger then you will have to do the baking (or buy them) and let your kids decorate the cookies with icing, sprinkles or candies.
7. Shopping. Take your kids along with you to the store – but – one at a time. Don’t try and do everything at once. Take one child and try to do some shopping for your other children, spouse or relatives. If you ask your child for his/her opinions and get them involved in the decision making they will feel good about helping you.

Some people take Christmas decorating to the extreme. The house is perfect. The tree is perfect. The yard is perfect. Often times you will find the ‘perfect’ places are ‘kid free’ places.

Don’t try and compete with ‘perfect’. Enjoy your children while they are young and let them explore their creative side.

If their decorating skills are really, really, bad then rearrange things yourself – but, after they go to bed and not in a big way. I’m willing to bet your kids took a lot of pride in being able to decorate and if you make too many alterations you will hurt their feelings.

Religion aside, Christmas is for the kids. Let them be kids and display their home-made decorations with pride.

Here are some aricles to help you with your Christmas planning:

Nine Unique Gifts for Hard to Buy For People

A Christmas Card They’ll Keep Forever

Shopping Strategies to Help You Save Money