By Tricia Goyer, Author of Generation NeXt Parenting

When I think of Christmas, I remember family gatherings around my grandparent’s dinner table. I also think of times my family spent time together, creating our own special memories. For example, one year I received a tape recorder. On Christmas Day, my mother, father, brother and I recorded stories, changing our voices to fit our various roles. While I no longer have the tape of our recordings, the memory of our fun is something I’ll never forget.

Think back. What are some of your favorite Christmas memories? Perhaps you may remember a few of the special gifts you received, but most likely these memories have nothing to do with presents.

“One of my favorite traditions with my small children were to create gingerbread houses and gingerbread men,” says Linda from New York.

“Also on Christmas Eve, my husband takes the guitar out and we turned off all the lights and sing Christmas carols by the tree.”

“My children and I baked a birthday cake for Jesus for Christmas Eve,” says Eileen.
Martha, another mom, also likes to focus of the birth of Jesus at Christmas.

“One of the most meaningful things for our family at Christmas was around the Crèche,” says Martha. “We put out the Nativity scene the first week of Christmas. After attending the a candlelight church service on Christmas eve, read the story from Luke and let the youngest one in the family place the baby in the manger to signify the wonder of His birth. It's a great way to make the Christmas story really be meaningful for children.”

These are great ideas for you to try, but no matter what types of traditions you want to start, remember these principles:

1. Think back on some of your favorite memories and recreate those for your kids.
2. Check your attitude because it will set the tone for the whole event. If mama is happy, your kids will be happy.
3. Be flexible. Rigid people are brittle and break easily. What type of memory do you want your children to have, a happy mom or uptight mom?
4. Have child-wonder. Kids don’t care about a perfectly decorated house. They think that laughter and fun times top that any day!

You can make Christmas a wonderful time for you and your child. Remember, the perfect memories top any “perfect” gift!

Tricia Goyer is the author of seven novels, six non-fiction books, and one children's book. Tricia was named MHCW's "Writer of the Year" in 2003. In 2005, her book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion. Also in 2005, her novel Night Song won ACFW's Book of the Year for Long Historical Romance. In 2006, her novel Dawn of a Thousand Nights also won Book of the Year for Long Historical. She's written over 300 articles for national publications and hundreds of Bible Study notes for the Women of Faith Study Bible. Tricia lives in Montana with her husband and three kids where she homeschools, leads children's church, and mentors teenage mothers.

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