Dec. 18, 2008 - Gift Giving with Kids
Category • Holidays
With Christmas right around the corner, I'm pondering the purpose of gift giving and how to teach that to my children. It seems to me that as much as the gifts we give are intended to please the recipient, they are more importantly intended to convey our love and affection. Surely that's the primary purpose? Without thinking it through, that's how I've always approached the issue of having the kids give gifts to family members, and so the gifts have always been something the child has made or purchased with her own money. Always the gift has been the child's choice, although I provide suggestions. Sometimes they've been ugly because the taste of small children differs greatly from mine; mostly they've been useful because I encourage that.
This year my two oldest (7 and 5) took it upon themselves to start Christmas shopping early in the fall, when I was thinking of Christmas shopping, and so with their own money they bought gifts for grandparents, aunts, and uncles. I've been remiss this year in coming up with tangible Christmas gift projects for those they didn't buy for or for the third child, so now I have to scramble a bit, but that's my omission. I'm thrilled that the older two thought of the gifts on their own, decided what to buy, and that they considered it important to have a gift from themselves to give, and that in their own way they even considered what the recipients would like.
From my perspective right now, I think they've learned the gift giving lessons I would want them to learn. Are there other lessons to be had here that I should be considering as well?
• 2 Comments • Post A Comment! • 8:49 PM
Dec. 8, 2008 - Advent Jesse Tree
Category • Holidays
I have previously posted our plan or schedule for observing Advent and then Christmas. This year, since our kids are older, we're adding in a true Jesse Tree observance. We use the devotions in The Advent Jesse Tree during breakfast each day, then sometime later in the day the kids use assorted craft supplies to make a symbol related to that day's story to hang on their "tree". (The trees are construction paper creations taped to the shutters in the kitchen.) I don't provide a lot of input into how the symbols should be constructed, although for my 3yo I do sometimes cut out a shape for him if he asks me to. I also sometimes provide general suggestions for ways a symbol might be constructed, but mostly the project is theirs. I'll try to post a picture later in the season, since the "trees' are turning out to be quite interesting.
UPDATE:
• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • 11:09 PM
Mar. 21, 2008 - Easter Preparation
Category • Holidays
We don't really observe Lent in our house. Neither of us comes from a liturgical church tradition, so my dh and I do not have any history to draw from. We have decided to include some of the liturgical church year in our home, though, to provide a framework for some of our spiritual training. Lent provides an excellent introduction to Easter (which is of course its intent), but we don't "do Lent" in any traditional sense.
This year, starting on Ash Wednesday or shortly thereafter, we began exploring the story of the Good Shepherd. The girls each had a set of paper figures--one shepherd and several sheep--and a shoebox sheepfold, left from last year. DS got a tissue box sheepfold, a clothespin doll shepherd, and some cotton ball sheep. We explored a different aspect of the story each week.
Older dd needed a bit more, so we also read the Gospel reading from lectionary cycle A each week (although we missed a few weeks because I forgot). Next year I'll try to remember to have both girls illustrate that reading each week.
Starting with Palm Sunday, we began reading from the lectionary Gospel reading each day at breakfast, still reading from cycle A. In this way we've read through the whole passion story up through the burial. We've been listening to the second part of Handel's Messiah each night at supper.
On Palm Sunday, the kids made their own palms and danced.
On Thursday we ate matzo ball soup and a modified haroset (a fruit salad for Passover).
Today we made hot cross buns (although again they are rising very slowly and look to be headed for the rock status they had last year, alas). We also made jeweled crosses (to symbolize how beautiful is the cross of Christ) and a rock tomb, into which we put the clothespin good shepherd before sealing it with a rock.
Tomorrow we will go through our Resurrection Eggs, I'll hang up a fancy jeweled egg we have, and perhaps we'll decorate eggs (although that isn't likely). I learned today that long ago the egg symbolized the rock tomb in which Jesus' body was laid, so egg activities are particularly appropriate for Saturday. Then tomorrow night we'll bake our Easter Story Cookies.
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • 8:22 PM
Mar. 14, 2008 - Lenten Observance
Category • Holidays
This year for Lent, just like last year, we're exploring the story of the Good Shepherd to prepare the children for the ideas embodied in Easter. Our activities are coming from Celebrating the Church Year with Young Children, a book I've found very helpful even though it's written from a Catholic perspective and I'm not Catholic (or even in a liturgical church). Last year, I photocopied a sheet with a shepherd and sheep to cut out and made one set for each of the girls, along with a shoebox sheepfold for each. This year the oldest boy needed a set, and I forgot to photocopy the page. Plus, I didn't think a paper set would survive his play for long. We just happened to be making clothespin dolls anyway, so I made him a clothespin shepherd with cotton ball sheep (they really are just cotton balls!) and a tissue box sheepfold. This was a perfect solution!
UPDATE: The sheep in the picture is not a cotton ball, of course. The ones in his set are. In the photo he was using his shepherd with his farm toys.
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • 3:53 PM
Mar. 9, 2007 - Preparation for Easter
Category • Holidays
This year I decided to prepare for Easter, much as we prepare for Christmas by doing Advent activities. Lent is the official season of preparation for Easter, but since our church doesn't observe Lent, and we've never really observed Lent in our home, I wasn't prepared for a full-blown observance of Lent this year. My favorite church seasons book, Celebrating the Christian Church Year with Young Children, suggested using the story of the Good Shepherd throughout Lent to help small children prepare for Easter.
This seemed doable for us, so I used the book's template to make paper Good Shepherd and sheep figures for each of the girls, and then gave them each a sheepfold made from a shoebox. The girls are enjoying playing with their sets. I have told them the story of the Good Shepherd, quite casually, a few times, and we've sung some hymns/choruses about Jesus-as-Shepherd. I think for the 3yo especially, this approach will work much better than others we have/might have tried.
Next year I'd like to implement some of the other Lenten observance suggestions from our book, but for this year the Good Shepherd story is going to be the extent of it. However, I do plan to also stretch Easter out for at least part of the official 50 days of Easter, so that our observance of Easter is not compressed into three days as it usually is.
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • 8:39 PM
Dec. 23, 2006 - Advent 2006
Category • Holidays
This year, the CEO and I decided to change our Advent approach. We wanted to follow the traditional formula of using Advent to prepare for the coming of the Saviour, not as an infant but as a King. We wanted to put the focus more on preparing our hearts for Christ when He returns. We used a couple of resources to help us with this.
Celebrating the Church Year With Young Children
Based on the recommendations in the Celebrating the Church Year book, but then also trying to follow a more traditional Advent schedule (such as described here), we created a schedule for the Advent and Christmas season. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, and then the 12 days of Christmas each had a separate scripture reading, hymn, thought to ponder, ornament for the tree, and art. We also listened to Part I of Handel's Messiah.
We may rearrange the hymns and art next time around, but overall this worked well for our children, ages 1, 3, and 5. Each night we lit the candle(s), read the scripture, talked about the thought, and sang our hymn. Each week we put up the appropriate ornament, and displayed the new art selection. After the candle lighting each night, the children took turns using the candle snuffer to put out the candles (with our help, of course). At supper we listened to the Messiah, and the children are now spontaneously singing some of the pieces at other times.
With the oldest, almost 6, we used the assigned text in the Jesse Tree book referenced above during her Bible time each day. We did not use the daily Jesse Tree ornaments because last year that was too much for the middle child, and I think it would still be too much for her this year too. We wanted to keep our focus very narrow this year, and that seems to have been effective. We did read the devotional from the Jesse Tree book to the kids each night before bed.
We're still fine-tuning this, but so far this has been a reverent Advent season.
• 2 Comments • Post A Comment! • 9:17 PM
Dec. 17, 2006 - Christmas
Category • Holidays
Christmas lasts from Christmas Day through January 6. We'll continue to light all the Advent candles, including the Christ candle, every night during this period.
- Luke 2:1-20
- Christ Candle
- We celebrate because Jesus was born.
We celebrate because Jesus is our King. - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
- Nativity ornament
- Handel’s Messiah, Part I, 13-17
- Art: Adoration of the Magi
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • 8:37 AM
Dec. 16, 2006 - Advent, Week 4
Category • Holidays
Week 4 this year consists solely of Christmas Eve.
- Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
- Peace candle
- Jesus brought peace to our hearts.
When He returns He will bring peace to the world.
- O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
- Dove ornament
- Handel’s Messiah, Part I, 12
- Art: Nativity
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • 9:21 PM
Dec. 16, 2006 - Advent, Week 3
Category • Holidays
- Isaiah 12:2-6
2 Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation."
3 With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
4 In that day you will say:
"Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.
6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you."
- Joy candle
- Jesus saved us from our sins, which gives us joy.
- Joy to the World
- Handel’s Messiah, Part I, 8-11
- Art: Christmas Announcement
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • 8:41 PM
Dec. 9, 2006 - Advent, Week 2
Category • Holidays
- 1 John 4:9-12
9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
- Love candle
- God sent Jesus because He loves us.
Jesus came because He loves us.
We show love to God by loving other people. - O Holy Night
- Heart ornament
- Handel’s Messiah, Part I, 5-7
- Art: Chancel Cross
[Update: Alternatively, use van Eyck's Adoration of the Lamb, which you can find at the Web Gallery of Art.]
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • 9:41 PM
<- Last Page • Next Page ->
