This year my family has the joy of celebrating our favorite time of the year with a two year old who is learning rapidly and growing in her ability to communicate, express emotions, and experience the world each day. I have often wondered about what a 2-year old gets out of Christmas, and how I as a dad can shape her heart from this year onward to see the beauty and wonder of Christmas as only a follower of Jesus can. Here are some quick pointers for celebrating and experiencing Christmas with toddlers and young children without being weird and while still enjoying the most fun parts of the season.
1. Be Together - if nothing else gets accomplished, help your toddler understand that Christmas is a time where people enjoy each other, as expressed through our love, generosity, and care for family, friends, and those less fortunate in our community. You shouldn't expect a toddler to grasp the immaculate conception of Jesus - but you should expect them to pick up on how mom and dad are more focused on loving others, giving to appropriate causes, and serving people than any other time of year. Attend special worship services together, go caroling together, and serve together (the best you can with a toddler, anyway) so that they understand the impact of the Christmas season on others. This helps shape their heart to be a little less selfish and a little more concerned with the well-being of others (I don't know about yours, but my 2-year old can be a little selfish at times...).
2. Centralize Jesus - if we really believe Jesus is the Reason for the Season, then how we behave, decorate, party, and give should all be proof of that belief. So are Santa Claus, Elf on the Shelf, and holiday movies okay to have around? In a word, yes. But when my toddler associates Christmas more with a commercial holiday, or more with gifts, Santa, or other fun traditions, then it will only be harder for me as she grows up to focus her attention on Jesus. We must begin early with this for it to stick. Think about how you have decorated your home: is Jesus what they see more than those other things? Think about the community events you participate in: is Jesus the focus? Leverage all of the opportunities of this season to point your toddler toward Jesus. And by the way, it's bigger than a baby in a manger - the fullness of the love and grace of God was in that baby, and we celebrate his birth, life, and sacrifice for us on the cross at Christmas.
3. Have lots and lots of fun! The brain of a 2-5 year old absorbs an insane amount of information and forms more rapidly than any other time of life! Make sure it is full of memories that bring joy and laughter. Every toddler is a little different here, but mine has more fun being with other people than anything else. While I want her to enjoy her gifts and new toys, above all of that I want her to simply enjoy every part of the Christmas season. I want my daughter as she grows up to anticipate Christmas because it makes her so full of joy, not just because she gets new stuff.
Our children grow up too fast to miss these simple reminders of how to leverage Christmas to help their hearts be shaped a little more like Jesus! I hope each of you has a wonder-full, Christ-full season full of laughter, joy, and fun with your little ones.
