By Naomi Saunders
Naomi is a school teacher from Cornwall, and Mum to 2 beautiful girls. Following a difficult experience feeding her second baby Naomi has become an advocate of Combination Feeding and works with MAM to raise awareness of parents right to choose their own path when it comes to feeding.
Preparing for the most magical time of year
Halloween seems like only yesterday and it is as though we rush from one frantic buying season to another. Christmas the most magical of them all? perhaps not! With the financial crisis which has been evident the last few years and the fall in jobs available, combined with the excesses of the Christmas culture, many are at risk of plummeting into debt for one special day. The rise in targeted advertisement and the perfect life through snippet pictures each time we open our phones, only adds to the pressure for perfection. A time of year families should look forward to are now focused on the “mumtroversy” of how many presents should be under your tree; and in some cases deciding which bill can remain unpaid.
But what is the ‘perfect Christmas’?
It appears there has been a remarkable shift in this meaning which is now a moment that transcribes as the perfect picture, rather than those imperfect moment’s that can’t be captured and filtered, but still remain wedged in our memories. The moment’s which are not perfect when we experience them but snippets of real family life which we become fonder of overtime. A burnt roast turkey, an awful present, even a family argument. The disasters we retell time and time again, haunted moments which grow into strangely fond memories.
I am a primary school teacher and when I set the traditional return to school task ‘write about your Christmas’ I can assure you it is rare a list of toys are written down and children do not compare the number of presents they receive. I hear about the hot chocolates after bedtime, duvet days so snug not even mum got out of her PJ’s, burnt cookies, homemade paper chains, singing Christmas songs and staying up till midnight on New Year’s eve. Toys are an addition to all the free festivities your children love at this time of year, the ones which reflect the true magic of Christmas. Your presence will always, undoubtedly be the best present of all.
So instead of making the mistake of raking up bills and splurging into debt (which will be a hangover you won’t be able to shift for months) scale it back and focus on making memories, treasure the imperfect and avoid being too reckless in the face peer pressure from social media.
Don’t make Christmas about ‘stuff’ because plastic is not a measurement of your child’s happiness.
Besides let’s face it today’s toys are tomorrows clutter.
From my family to yours I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! x
