Maybe Christmas doesn't come in a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. - Dr. Seuss
Growing up, Christmas was one of the things I looked forward to most (and I should mention that it still is). It was a time to be surrounded by cousins, gifts, and food. A time where you secretly hoped that your parents had gotten you the gift you wanted most that year. A time where you were ungrateful towards what you did receive.
While Christmas is still a wonderful time of year - it's different with a child. Here's five ways being a parent changes the Christmas game.
1. Making Memories
Obviously you make memories with your family and friends, but when you become a parent - you are making memories solely for your child. You almost get put under some sort of pressure to fill the giant Christmas spirit/memories shoes. And to be honest, it's pretty overwhelming.
2. "What do they want for Christmas?"
For crying out loud, a bottle of wine and a week long vacation at grandma's? In my case, my daughter is two - therefore, she can't really tell us (or anybody for that matter) what she wants. This results in an answer regarding clothing and then the guessing game of what size they wear and what size they'll be in a few months. (You've got about a .008% chance of being right, in case you were wondering).
3. Who the f*%k is Santa?!
This question actually comes up a lot with parents. Is Santa a thing in our house? Do we wait til the kids are old enough to understand? Should we be scrooges and pretend like we don't know who the hell Santa is? Do we suck it up and play along and then when they're ten rip their hearts out and stomp them on the ground? How much does Santa bring? What if my kid goes to school and Santa brought little Jimmy $1500 worth of presents and meanwhile my kid only got a couple new Barbies and a coloring book? Then what? And don't even get me started on that stupid elf...
4. Being on time? Throw that out the window!
It's so cute when people who use to have small children give a set time to be somewhere. SO CUTE. Have you ever tried to get a toddler ready in a fashionable amount of time? - If you have any pro tips, feel free to let me know! Not only will said small child probably throw fifteen tantrums before you even leave the house, they'll also be up at 5AM (if you participate and beat Santa into your child's head), causing them to be ready for a nap precisely at the same time as said event. No, I'm not exaggerating.
5. LOTS OF LOVE
All jokes aside, the most important and my favorite part about Christmas is the amount of love I get to show and give to my family and little one. While the holiday's may be more stressful than I would like to admit, every little bit is worth it. From seeing your child's eyes light up when they get something they enjoy to pulling out all the batteries from the remotes and swimming in wrapping paper, there is truly nothing better than sharing the spirit of Christmas with your babies.
