Christmas holidays: 6 ideas to educate because it's Christmas
Vacation periods are ideal to intensify the education of our children. These are times in which we live more time with them. Separated from the daily reality, we must seize to know them more thoroughly, and take advantage of these days educational. Let's not let the Christmas holidays It becomes a time exclusively for celebrations, family meals and gifts. These Christmas days are ideal for educating in a special way, different from the day to day of the rest of the year.
Not counting the hours of sleep, our children spend most of their time at school. Usually they are more than eight hours a day away from home and we do not see them. And it may even happen that we ourselves arrive from work later than they, increasing the time of separation. And so for almost nine months a year. But parents have periods in which we can educate in a different way, different from the rest of the year and maybe more effective. It's the holidays. And at Christmas we can get a lot out of it.
Because it's Christmas, a crutch that comes from the heart
In the Christmas holidaysFrequently, children tend to focus on themselves. They are aware that they will receive many gifts: grandparents on Christmas Eve, the New Year of the godparents, the day of Kings, etc. It may happen that the boy or girl is too aware of what he is going to receive and completely forget what he has to give.
A good help, even if it seems too used and reused, may consist of adding the crutch "because is Christmas"When we demand something from our children, we can not only use it at home by giving them something, but we can go out at other family gatherings or giving alms, and it can even serve to forgive their brothers when they make treats. to let go of himself and his things with a smile, and Christmas seems a very propitious time for that.
The battle of nougat at Christmas
We can also find it expensive to avoid excesses during the Christmas holidays, especially shopping and meals. But some small efforts will come well, especially to educate with facts in a positive sense. Maybe we find it difficult, because we love prawns with mayonnaise or grilled prawns and this is one of the few occasions we have to enjoy them ... But educating our children is worth eating a little less than what we like and a little more than we do not like.
Also, even if our son is not fat or will be, the nougat in large quantities is not very healthy, neither for the stomach nor for the molars. If we pay attention, we will get our son or daughter to measure with the sweets. And so we will teach you that you enjoy much more when you have spent more time since the previous time that we were able to taste it.
Educate with Christmas gifts, it is possible
In turn, the same gifts things can be educational, if they serve to teach that you have to be content with what each one has. Or if we invite them to make gifts too. This way we will achieve that they will not be demanding or capricious when it comes to asking for gifts, money, clothes, etc., both this Christmas and the rest of the course and tomorrow. It will be necessary to correct them if they sit in front of the television with the constant "I ask it" on the lips.
The best company for all at Christmas
The life of our son can change a lot if he can forget about himself and worry about others with generosity in selfless actions of solidarity. And our children can be generous not only with money, or sharing toys with their siblings. The Christmas it is a propitious time for visits to sick family members, nursing home elders who are forgotten by their families, orphanages, etc., devoting time with generosity to keep others company.
To grandparents' house at Christmas
Of course, these days lend themselves to strengthening family ties with relatives we see less for reasons of distance, lack of time or other reasons. Sometimes we will have to make a trip to another province different from ours. But the family is worth a few days of family transfer. Staying at a relative's house can teach our children how to take care of things in the house. Mainly because they are not yours.
In addition, they will have to conform to the tastes and customs of their grandparents, uncles or cousins. This helps the boys and girls forget a little of their preferences and it will be good to explain to them that they have to discover the pleasure of making them pass well to others.
A fun afternoon: Christmas plans with children
We can also take advantage of these days to instill a series of cultural habits to our children. It is important that from a young age take a liking for reading, because to root this custom when it is older is much more difficult. We can look for literature guides and children readings that help us in this task.
On such special dates, among the many activities and plans with children, it may be a good idea to take advantage of the afternoon that we go as a family to a public spectacle, such as the circus, the cinema or the theater, selecting beforehand the films or works that we go Let's see. It is proven that a good movie or play develops more intelligence and linguistic richness than a videogame.
Tips to educate because it's Christmas
1. We must try to spend enough hours with our children this Christmas. We can take advantage of the cavalcades of Kings, living nativity scenes or typical Christmas places to get to know them better by seeing how they get along and chatting with them calmly.
2. Christmas is a propitious time to strengthen our family ties. The visits to our relatives, especially to those of greater age, is a custom that helps to leave oneself. Book now some days for these visits.
3. It will be necessary to be clear about the plan of each day, organizing and preparing an agenda or calendar for our children to make the most of the time. If we organize ourselves well there will be time for everything and there will be no dead and useless moments. There will also be room for literature and children's films.
4. We can organize a toy collection with other friendly families that our children no longer use and then go to a children's hospital or home for orphans and cheer them up a little Christmas. This will be a great help to educate in generosity and solidarity.
5. And also visit hospitals for the elderly or asylums. Those who have lost their family or feel alone are very grateful for the visits of disinterested people.
6. To educate in strength and sobriety, the first thing is to set an example. Our purchases and our meals must be tempered and demonstrate with facts that which is not happiness in having but in being. It could be very useful to accompany us to make the purchase.
The best thing for this Christmas is that we pay attention that our children look more at others than at themselves so that they forget their caprices. Sometime you will have to reward your efforts, perhaps pointing to a paper so that you can earn your bike in installments. Little by little they will realize that there are things that need to be done even if there is no reward behind them, discovering that everyone needs others and others need them.
Marisol Nuevo Espín
Advice: Salustiano Méndez. Philosopher and professor
