What's the meaning???

As we make the switch for the fall festivities to the winter holidays, let’s reflect on what the big holidays mean to us. What will they mean to our children?

It’s easy to get swept up in the tide of commercialism, especially around Christmas. And I will be the first to admit that I'm into it- big time! And yes, I did go shopping on Black Friday... I didn't really plan it but hey, the kids were up at 6:00am so I figured I might as well have made good use of my time!

As parents, we need to make sure that our kids are seeing the big picture - not just round after round of food, gifts, and rushing from here to there doing all the "required" Holiday Activities.

HealthDay News offers these tips to help us make holidays meaningful for the kids:

* Create traditions in the family that your children can look forward to. Talk about why it’s important to have traditions, and which ones are their favorites.
* Encourage children to volunteer, and to make donations and gifts for those who are less fortunate.
* As a family, make homemade gifts to give to friends and family members. Help your children understand that a gift doesn’t need to be something that’s bought from a store.
* Don’t let yourself get stressed during the holidays. Let your children see that it’s a time to enjoy spending together as a family. (I’ll let you know if I ever figure out how to remain stress-free during the biggest holidays of the year!)

Here's another article that I quickly read through on Psych Central.

What's the meaning of the Holidays for you? What do you hope for your family?