12 Days of Christmas Parenting

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner! It seems like we just celebrated Thanksgiving a few days ago. This time last year, I posted a holiday blog tour called: “The 12 Days of Christmas Parenting”  on the blogs some of my favorite people. This year, I’ll be posting those articles on my blog for those who either missed it last year – or need a reminder for some practical ways to lead your kids during this busy season!

I’ll share tips for parents on how to navigate the difficult traps of the holidays, and create moments with life long impact. We’ll talk about 12 ideas to combat ingratitude, selfishness and impatience — and encourage generosity in your children, especially through the holidays.

This post originally appeared on the blog of my friend Ron Edmondson. Ron is a co-pastor and church leader at Grace Community Church in Clarksville, TN. He and his wife, Cheryl, are proud parents of 2 grown sons.

Tim

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 Growing Service in Your Kids at Christmas

In our recent work with students, Growing Leaders has drawn some interesting conclusions. We have seen a shift take place among the young people in Generation Y. (The kids born in the 80s are different than the kids born since then.) The research is in a new book called: Generation iY: Our Last Chance to Save Their Future.

One of the shifts we’ve uncovered is that kids have moved from “activists” (who want to change the world) to “slack-tivists.” They still want to change the world — but sort of. They often don’t really want to work hard or make sacrifices. They’d rather sign a petition on a website, get a wristband and then return to a video game or YouTube. They’re more self-absorbed than their earlier counterparts. So, how do we grow a heart for service in our kids today?

Try this.

In preparation for Christmas, prepare a list of Saturday chores to give to your kids. The list can include items that need to be done prior to the holidays — setting up decorations, cleaning rooms, preparing desserts, whatever. Obviously, include items that are age-appropriate.

Without telling them, hide an envelope with money in it, tickets to a ballgame or the movies, and put it where they’ll find it if they do their chores very thoroughly. For instance, if you ask them to clean the sofa, you may hide ten dollars under the cushions. They’ll see it only if they have worked hard and carefully. In other words, the reward comes when they have served well. Winners are the ones who work with excellence. Hopefully everyone will win.

Afterward, talk about how Jesus came at Christmas two thousand years ago. He said, “to serve, not to be served” (Matthew 20:28). Have a conversation about how Christmas really is about serving — God serving us and people serving each other.

“With good will serve each other, as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord…”  (Ephesians 6:7-8)

What can you do to grow service in your kids this Christmas?

12 Days of Christmas Parenting

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner! This time last year, I posted a holiday blog tour called: “The 12 Days of Christmas Parenting”  on the blogs some of my favorite people. This year, I’ll be posting those articles on my blog for those who either missed it last year – or need a reminder for some practical ways to lead your kids during this busy season!

I’ll share tips for parents on how to navigate the difficult traps of the holidays, and create moments with life long impact. We’ll talk about 12 ideas to combat ingratitude, selfishness and impatience — and encourage generosity in your children, especially through the holidays.

Today’s post originally appeared on the Catalyst blog. This amazing group seeks to ignite and unite the next generation of leaders allowing their passions and gifts to flourish, and have maximum impact in our churches and culture. They hold an annual conference every October that I have attended since it began.

Tim

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Not too long ago, we celebrated Thanksgiving. This is the time when many parents work vigorously to get their kids to “count their blessings” when really, they’re consumed with food, cousins and video games. So how do we cultivate generosity at Christmas time?

It would be easy to become very cliché and even cheesy at this point, to merely talk about what we’re thankful for and promise to be more grateful. I think the best way to generate gratitude is to go without something. We never appreciate something fully until we don’t have it.

Try this.

Sit down with your kids and talk over the idea of gratitude. Together, choose a day that week where every member in the family goes without any drinks. None. No soft drinks, lemonade or water. (I know that sounds extreme, but I just did this not too long ago as a dad.) No doubt, everyone will be thirsty by the end of the day… if not before.

Plan a little gathering before bedtime and talk over how each of you felt. Discuss when it was toughest for you during the day to not sneak to the refrigerator and grab a Gatorade. Then, visit the website for Charity Water. They are a non-profit organization that provides water to communities around the world that don’t have clean drinking water. Forget Coke or Dr. Pepper — many don’t even have water! Do you realize that almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean drinking water? Unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation causes 80% of all diseases and kills more people than all forms of violence, including war.

Now, decide what your family can do to help those who have no clean drinking water to get some. You will notice on the website that $20 provides clean water for one person, for twenty years. Talk about what each family member can do to chip in and help.

Then — talk about the little things in our life that we take for granted every day — like water — and choose one action each of you will take to express your gratitude for that gift from God.

“In everything give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (I Thessalonians 5:18) 

How can you cultivate gratitude in your kids at Christmas?

12 Days of Christmas Parenting

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner! It seems like we just celebrated Thanksgiving a few days ago. This time last year, I posted a holiday blog tour called: “The 12 Days of Christmas Parenting”  on the blogs some of my favorite people. This year, I’ll be posting those articles on my blog for those who either missed it last year – or need a reminder for some practical ways to lead your kids during this busy season!

I’ll share tips for parents on how to navigate the difficult traps of the holidays, and create moments with life long impact. We’ll talk about 12 ideas to combat ingratitude, selfishness and impatience — and encourage generosity in your children, especially through the holidays.

Last December, this post originally appeared on Pete Wilson’s blog. He is the founder and senior pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN. He and his wife, Brandi, have 3 boys.

Tim

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Growing Patience in Your Kids at Christmas

Patience is a virtue. At least, that’s what they say. I say it’s a rare gem. Few of us have much of it in our day and culture. And our kids? They’re growing up with a “Google Reflex” expecting everything to come instantly — answers to questions, food, text replies, favorite songs… you name it.

This immediate gratification thing is even worse during the holidays. It’s just hard to wait. For all of us. Christmas, however, is supposed to be a time of waiting and anticipation — just like it was in Bethlehem. (Remember, Christ was born after four hundred years of God’s silence.)

Try this.

Sit down with your children and talk over this idea of “waiting.” Discuss how hard it is for everyone. Even adults. Talk about how people through history had to wait long periods for almost anything valuable. Then, talk about how impatient people are today. (Remember Target shoppers getting trampled on Black Friday at 4:00 am?) Finally, have a conversation about how your family could build a little patience in each member during the holiday season.

For instance, for the remaining days in December, leading up to Christmas, you could offer a dollar-a-day for each of your children who can last the longest without complaining or becoming impatient about how long Christmas is taking. (Remind the young ones — 18 days means $18 dollars!) The ability to delay gratification is a sure sign of maturity in kids.

I have a friend whose twelve-year-old son, Nick, wanted a popular video game. It was sure to sell out on the first weekend it was released. Nick begged him to let him get it — although he didn’t have enough money. My friend did a wise thing. He said, “Son, I will pay for this video game so we can get it today. However, I will hold on to it until you can pay for it with your own money. This way, you know for sure you won’t miss out on it, but you’ll learn to appreciate it by waiting until you can really afford it. It was one of the greatest lessons Nick learned that year. He told me so himself!

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient until it gets the early and late rains. You, too, be patient; strengthen your hearts…” (James 5:7-8)

What can you do this Christmas season to develope patience in your kids?

 12 Days of Christmas Parenting

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner! This time last year, I posted a holiday blog tour called: “The 12 Days of Christmas Parenting”  on the blogs some of my favorite people. This year, I’ll be posting those articles on my blog for those who either missed it last year – or need a reminder for some practical ways to lead your kids during this busy season!

I’ll share tips for parents on how to navigate the difficult traps of the holidays, and create moments with life long impact. We’ll talk about 12 ideas to combat ingratitude, selfishness and impatience — and encourage generosity in your children, especially through the holidays.

I’m kicking things off today with a post that appeared on Michael Hyatt’s blog. He is a speaker and the former chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson publishers. More importantly, he and Gail are the parents of 5 wonderful girls, and are enjoying being grandparents to 5 little ones. Let’s get started!

Tim

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1. Growing Generosity in Your Kids at Christmas

Ahhh, Christmas. It just may be the most wonderful time of the year. Every year, however, parents are reminded of how much our culture has impacted the minds of our children. For instance, we all talk about Christmas being a time of giving — but let’s face it, the first thing kids want to do in December is to make their own Christmas list of what they’ll get, not give.

So here’s an idea.

First, why not start a tradition — along with their own “wish list,” your kids make out a list of the gifts they plan to give away to others — to people they know and perhaps ones they don’t know. The gifts can be ones they buy with their own money, or some of their own possessions they treasure.

Let’s take it a step further. What if for every gift they put on their wish list, they have to match it with a gift they plan to give away — one of their own toys, dolls, electronic devices, or games? This may just balance their “giving and receiving” experience a bit more. Then, they select a family less fortunate, and make an anonymous drop-off to that family. (Remember
“ding dong ditch”?)

I know of a mom and dad who had their kids go through all their toys one December and make two piles. The first pile would include the toys they planned on giving away; the second, toys they felt were worth keeping. (This made room for the new toys they’d soon receive on Christmas.) The clincher was, this mom and dad talked about sacrificial giving, and shared how they planned to give one of their cars to a needy family. Then, they had their children give away the pile of toys they had planned to keep. Sacrifice is true generosity. It was hard for a few moments, but unforgettable in the end. Those kids talk about that incredible experience four years later.

Jesus reminds us, “This poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned…” (Mark 12:43-44)

Join us tomorrow as we discuss ways to develop patience in your kids (and maybe yourself) during the holidays.

What can you do this Christmas to teach generosity to your kids?