There is no doubt that children "make" the holidays. There is nothing like the smile on a child's face as they see all the Christmas lights lit up as you drive around your town - or the look of awe on their face on Christmas morning when they wake up to presents under the tree. But as our children move into the teen years, the Christmas season loses some of its awe and wonder...if we let it!

It is true that we cannot turn back the clock and we cannot stop our kids from outgrowing some of our holiday traditions. Let's face it, it would look pretty funny seeing your 16-year-old sitting on Santa's lap in the local mall. But with some planning, we can still make the Holiday Season special.

Every year, from the time my children were toddlers, in November, I get out all my Advent materials, old Christmas calendars, and "idea" books for the Christmas season. I take a day and pour through them and pick out the activities that will suit my family for the coming holiday season. While you can keep some old traditions, you will find you need to give some up and add new ones that your teens will find enjoyable. Below are some ideas to help you get started.

Deck the Halls
While your teens may not be as excited about getting the house decorated for the holidays as they used to, this family tradition can still be a time to make memories and share a common bond.

• Turn on the Christmas Music and decorate the house and tree together. Even though they might not seem interested, insist that they be there for this one. This will set the mood for the whole holiday season. Do your best to find a time that everyone can be there to help with the "Hanging of the Greens".
• If you have a tradition of using an Advent Wreath and/or an Advent Calendar, I suggest you keep using it. Even though they may seem a bit old, especially for the calendar, you'd be surprised how teens will still enjoy it. In our family, I have a homemade Advent Calendar with pouches on each date to hold a special question regarding Christmas. The first one down to the breakfast table in the morning gets to read the message in the calendar for the day. You'd be surprised how my teens still compete to be the first one at the table!
• Have your own Decoration Contest. Have each teen 
  decorate their room for the holidays and then take a vote
  to see whose is the most creative.
• Have your Teens change the answering machine message to a holiday message of their choice.

Holiday Events
Teens may be too busy or not very interested in attending holiday events with the family. Here are some things that will likely strike their fancy - and remember to include their friends.

• Christmas Shopping Trip to the Mall. What teenager doesn't like the mall? Take a car-load of teens to the mall for a Christmas Shopping Extravaganza. Be prepared for some silliness and for letting them go off on their own for a while. Meet together in the food court for dinner before heading home.
• Church Christmas Parties. Again, encourage your teen to bring friends to these events. 
• Local Christmas Pageants/Programs. Support community Christmas programs. You will find many things of interest, but remember, your time with teenagers is limited. Choose the events that will be most enjoyable to everyone.

Gifts
Coming up with exciting gifts for teenagers that don't break the bank can be a real problem. 

• Set a budget and stick with it. Explain to your teens just
  what you will be spending and ask for lists that stay within the pre-set budget. They might only want one item that uses the whole amount of money set aside for them, but they will like it much more than a lot of little things that they don't want.
• Brain-storm with them for ideas for presents for their friends. This expense can eat up a lot of their own funds, so encourage them to be creative and bargain shoppers.
• Open one present each on Christmas Eve.

Misc.
As we move into the Holiday Season, let us remember the TRUE reason for Christmas, and let's make sure our teens remember it also. It is not the gifts, or the lights, or tree. It's not even family getting together or sharing our abundance with those less fortunate. While these have become an important part of our holiday tradition in America, we need to make sure we remember WHY we celebrate Christmas. We celebrate the birth of Jesus, God's precious gift to us.

According to John 3:16, "God so loved the world that He gave us His son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jesus is the real Reason for the Season; let's make sure we and our families honor Him this holiday season.

• Set up a manger scene in the front yard.
• Start a collection of manger scenes that can be given to your teenagers when they become adults and move out on their own.
• Attend Christmas Eve or Christmas Day church services together.
• Listen to Christmas Carols and Christmas Hymns together in the house and in the car.
• Make sure to read the Christmas Story in the Book of Luke.

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These gift ideas were taken from the new book HAPPY HOLIDAYS WITH TEENS written by Patti Chadwick, available in both ebook and print formats at parentsandteens.com. Stop by Parents & Teens and pick up a copy today.

Christmas is coming! And, Christmas time is all about family and togetherness. We’ve put together some recommendations for movies to have on hand for the Christmas season that the whole family will enjoy. These are all movies to buy and watch year after year!

Christmas Story (1983)
All Ralphie wants in the entire world is a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. This 1940s family is hilarious. You’ll love Ralphie’s irritable father, his whiny brother, and his all-American mother.

Elf (2003)
What could be more fun for a kid to watch than a six foot tall elf? Between Will Farrell’s great performance and the wacky concept of an Elf on the loose in New York City, this is destined to become a Christmas classic.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
No list of “Must See Holiday Movies” would be complete without this James Stewart and Donna Reed classic. Share this timeless story with your children.

The Santa Clause (1994)
Every kids dream is to go to the North Pole, but how many kids can say that Santa is their Dad? Watch an unwillingTi m Allen become Santa.

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens? How can you go wrong? This lighthearted, humorous version is a perfect introduction to the classic Charles Dickens tale.

The tradition of gifts seems to have started with the gifts that the wise men (the Magi) brought to Jesus. As recounted in the Bible's book of Matthew, "On coming to the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh."

As mentioned in the previous question, however, no one was really in the habit of exchanging elaborate gifts until late in the 1800s. The Santa Claus story (described later), combined with an amazing retailing phenomenon that has grown since the turn of the century, has made gift giving a central focus of the Christmas tradition.

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