6 Holiday Traditions I Want to Share With My Children

Now that we have two daughters, the holidays are something we genuinely look forward to.

Shelley Skuster December 17, 2015

Before any of our children joined our family, we spent years dreaming about the traditions we’d share with them.

The holidays—often hallmarked as a time of gratitude and togetherness—often felt empty and sad because of our struggle with infertility and deep yearning to become parents.

Now that we have two daughters (and a third on the way), the holidays are something we genuinely look forward to.

Here are six holiday traditions I want to share with my children:

Select a special Christmas ornament.
1. Select a special Christmas ornament.

Each year, our kids unwrap a special ornament for Christmas that represents something from that year: their adoption finalization, their favorite Sesame Street character, etc. When our children get older, they’ll be able to take their collection of ornaments with them and decorate their own tree!

Bake and decorate cookies.
2. Bake and decorate cookies.

Our toddler loves this holiday tradition already--because what 2-year old doesn’t love dumping sprinkles on icing?! From easy snickerdoodle cookies to the traditional sugar cookie cut-outs, our family loves spending a Saturday baking and decorating cookies, and then sharing them with neighbors, friends and family members.

Take a Christmas Eve Family Selfie
3. Take a Christmas Eve Family Selfie

Before anyone heads to bed awaiting Santa’s arrival, we take a family selfie in front of our Christmas tree. It’s fun to look back and see how much we’ve grown and changed through the years, yet the excitement and joy of the holidays radiates in these [sometimes awkward but mostly funny] family selfies!

Tour the town.
4. Tour the town.

Each year our family enjoys piling into our minivan with hot chocolate in our travel mugs and sippy cups. We turn up the Christmas music and admire the twinkling lights and elaborate holiday displays that decorate houses in our city.

Host a family movie night.
5. Host a family movie night.

My husband and I pick the night and our daughters pick the movie for a family Christmas movie night! Sometime during the month of December, we put on our Christmas pajamas and fill up a bowl of buttery popcorn to share on the couch while watching a favorite holiday movie.

Have a Christmas meal.
6. Have a Christmas meal.

Some people enjoy a turkey or ham with family around the table for the holidays. Our family has a tradition of having a big brunch on Christmas morning. While our daughters are dreaming about what goodies Santa left them overnight, my husband and I brew a fresh pot of coffee and whip up a pan of baked oatmeal with fresh berries, pancakes, and sausage. We’ve also been known to have a slice of homemade birthday cake in the morning (yes, the morning!) as our Christian faith commemorates December 25th as Jesus’ birthday!

What about you? What holiday traditions do you want to celebrate with your child?

author image

Shelley Skuster

Shelley is a former award-winning television journalist who traded in suit coats and red lipstick for a messy bun and yoga pants. She's a freelance writer who stays at home with her three daughters who are all ((gasp)) under the age of three and came to her via adoption and birth. She's the woman behind the blog Shelley Writes and she can also be found on facebook and twitter as ShelleySkuster.



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