Traditions Continued

Writing Traditions 

Some of us don’t know we’re creative until you hand us a pen (or a keyboard). I could never do a thing with a paintbrush, but poetry flowed from my chubby childish hands very early on. Try one of these writing traditions this year. 

1. Many children write letters to Santa. In Italy, children send love letters to their parents instead of Santa. I like the idea of Christmas love letters. Write a letter to each of your children at Christmas and put them in a keepsake box. Give it to them the day they leave for college or move out. Have your children write letters for you, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or friends. Your child can even write letters to soldiers through www.operationgratitude.com.
2. One of my favorite gifts is a book of blank pages, because it can become anything! Gift one to each child this year and start a Christmas poetry tradition. Each year, your child can add a new poem or even a Christmas story or comic, wherever their creativity takes them. It’ll be so much fun to read poems from previous years, and that itself can be a new tradition. Imagine reading poetry around the fireplace while eating your reindeer cupcakes!
3. Add another book of blank pages so your child can begin a Christmas journal. This is great way to keep track of what they asked for, what they received and from whom, and all the magical things that happened during the season. 

Photography Traditions 

Pictures are worth a thousand words, and photography traditions are priceless! Get your camera and try adding one of these traditions to your holiday season. 

1. Take the same photo every year. You probably already do it for the first day of school. Put your child in a Santa hat and photograph him in the rocking chair every year. Gather the family in front of the tree and have someone snap a photo. The idea is to watch how everyone grows and changes over the years. 
2. What are you going to do with all of those Christmas photos? Put them in a holiday scrapbook, of course! Pick a certain day each year where you gather everyone around the table and update your scrapbook with new photos. Perhaps you’ll want to make mini scrapbooks to hand out as gifts.

Theatric Traditions 

Lights. Camera. Action! It’s fun to watch A Christmas Carol. It’s more fun to make your very own production of it. 

1. Pick a favorite holiday movie and act it out. If you’re feeling super ambitious, you can assign actors, a director, a cameraman, even a makeup artist and costume designer! Why not? Your annual production of How the Grinch Stole Christmas might become one of the most cherished memories of childhood.
2. Have the kids write their own holiday-themed story and put on a Christmas play. Or perhaps they’d rather tell the Christmas story in their own words, in full costume. Maybe they can get involved in a local live nativity or Christmas play.  

Rebecca Eanes is the bestselling author of multiple books including Positive Parenting: An Essential Guide, The Positive Parenting Workbook, and The Gift of a Happy Mother. She is the grateful mom of two boys.