Besides hanging the seasonal calendar and lighting the candles for the Advent wreath, other preparations for Christmas can become family traditions despite the young (and maybe even clueless) age of your little ones. Children five and under can experience not only the teachings of the Nativity but the acts of charity that suit the holiday season.
We parents well know that we will hear endless chants from begging voices as our dearest ones rattle off twenty or more toys they want. It starts with the first pre-holiday commercial, reminding your child of the long-forgotten doll that went along with that popular weekday cartoon and then as Thanksgiving approaches, more TV ads download a never-ending series of swirling, twirling, flashy-dashy toy-store choices into your toddler's brain. Your children are quickly caught up in the material side of Christmas, especially when they are below the age of reason and find understanding Who Jesus really is very difficult to grasp.
Fortunately, I've noticed that even two-year-olds enjoy gazing at the Baby Jesus. To them, Baby Jesus in the manger is another little baby, just like them. They might not grasp the doctrine of His Divinity, but they immediately find a connection that even adults can envy. Their see that their parents are in awe of this Baby and they become even more entranced by the attention you give to Him. This simple attraction can be the start of a fruitful holy season, wherein the foundation of charity can be laid.
So how does one convey the concept of giving, when the television is blasting out the opposite? Here are four ideas to consider for children under five.
1. Thinking of our elders
While nursing-home visits are often recommended, this may not yet be the age to introduce that. Very young children might enjoy visiting their elderly relatives whom they are familiar with, but most will find a whole room full of seniors who suffer from memory loss and/or sense impairment quite alarming.
A better idea for toddlers is to make Christmas cards for residents. In the safety of their own environment, the children can sit at the table and with your guidance create cards that will be much appreciated. A three-year-old will gladly draw angels, stars or Christmas trees with such enthusiasm that their efforts will not be forgotten.
This project can last from the first day after Thanksgiving up to the day before Christmas. A whole month's worth of time to explore various artistic designs with your children and explanations of how happy they will make others feel when they send their greetings. To complete this task, let your children decorate the envelopes, place stamps on them and take them to the post office with you to mail. Or, if you have permission, visit the nursing home and drop the box of greetings with the staff. Their reception will be thankful and your children will feel like they have accomplished something.
2. Adopting a family for Christmas
This idea might seem larger than it actually is. There are many local charities and churches that can provide you with the name of a family in need. Sometimes you don't even have to go to an outside organization, but will find people among your own distant relatives who are in great need. Ask them what you can give them for Christmas. Request that each member of the family write down a couple of items they would like.
This isn't just an ordinary Christmas undertaking. Even if you normally send a gift to those same members, this year is different because of their graver financial needs. Whether you adopt your seldom-spoken-to cousin and his family or strangers in another town, start right after the Thanksgiving week and have your little ones, with careful instruction, make some home-made decorations. These can be quickly mailed to bring some early cheer for the family to enjoy while the Christmas countdown begins. If you feel religious items would be accepted, send an Advent calendar and wreath, along with instruction booklet to help the family focus their attention on the spiritual meaning of the holiday.
Home-made decorations can include hand-print paper wreaths or pine cone table displays. Colorful paper-ring or popcorn chains are easy to make and best of all as far as the little ones are concerned, they can be made with glitter. Ornaments for the tree can be created out of egg carton shells and tiny toys. Or consider painted cloth wall hangings with child "Van Gogh" art made to represent the starry night sky above the small town of Bethlehem. If you plan a creative activity each night, your adopted family will have quite a house full of holiday decorations to surprise and comfort them.
Along with the decorations comes gift-giving. If you can afford it, let the children glance over the wish-list with you. Take them to the store and let them help you pick out a gift for each member of your adopted family. Talk to them about how thankful you are to have the ability to buy these things and explain how their generosity will assist others and benefit their children too. Make the lesson mutual, something both families benefit from, both in giving and receiving.
3. Giving the gift of life
Another wonderful idea for Catholics to help their children experience the joy of Christmas is to take on a pro-life cause. The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen encouraged the spiritual adoption of an unborn child. Starting at the beginning of Advent, have your children each make a picture of a baby. It doesn't matter if their drawing looks like a round bald-headed spot on the paper. Then have them give their "baby" a name. Put the picture on the fridge or bedroom wall and explain to them that they can spiritually adopt this baby for Christmas. Each night gather your little blessings close to your side and read them aloud this prayer (or if they are old enough, ask them to repeat it with you):
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of [baby's name] the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion.
To add to your act of spiritual charity, ask your pastor if you can pin copies of the drawings made by your children somewhere at the parish. No names of those doing all the prayer work need be listed, but a mere sign to indicate what they are doing. Leave prayer cards to encourage other parish members to do the same and help spread the pro-life message. One can obtain Spiritual Adoption prayer cards at: http://www.spiritualadoption.org/
4. Connecting with sick children
Many cities today have very active and full pediatric wards in their hospitals. These places have often been made cheery by charities who have added color and child-appropriate art displays to the white-washed walls. Unfortunately, the children who are stuck in these wards often remain in the hospital environment for months, missing birthday parties, school friends, and the comfort of their own beds. Their parents also endure a great deal of stress, worrying about the health of their children and dealing with mounting medical bills and/or visiting expenses just so they can be near their loved ones. During the holidays, this situation grows all the more depressing and the outside generosity of strangers can make a wonderful difference.
First, write or make a call to your local hospital to ask if their pediatric ward allows gifts. Most will accept new, unwrapped items. Be sensitive to the fact that parents do not want to feel that their children are being targeted for proselytizing, so avoid sending cards or other personal messages that can be so construed, especially since the child will often be opening the gift without a parent present.
If the hospital agrees to receive your gifts, remember to ask what ages to shop for and if you should buy something boy-related or something for girls. Sometimes children who have been there a long time will even have requests of which the nurses are quite aware, so don't feel afraid to ask if a child has requested a specific type of toy. Even if you can only donate one toy this year, a requested gift will be far longer enjoyed than one that does not fit the need of the child.
Some toys are also inappropriate for the hospital environment. They may be too noisy or too large. They might need a lot of space to "run," while the child may be confined to a small room or even have to share the room with another patient. Toys that can fit on a lap tray are great for children who cannot leave their bed and toys that can attach to a crib are perfect for infants in the hospital. Home-made blankets are also a wonderful gift to make. If you are skilled enough, the entire season of Advent can be used for this purpose in crafting. Your children can contribute to the effort by picking out the colors and suggesting patterns.
If you decide to donate a toy to the pediatric ward, also consider sending a gift to one of the watchful parents. Their time stuck in the hospital, often sleeping in the child's room on a side sofa and being unprepared for a long stay in a public environment, can wreak havoc on the nerves. A parent often has to request clothes and hygiene products from home and wait until the spouse can show up to deliver them. They end up spending a lot of money on hospital food and long-distance calls, while spending endless hours in silent walks around the same halls. A nice idea for parents in this situation is a gift basket of toiletries (choose those for sensitive skin just in case) along with snack foods, gum or hard candies. Slippers, a robe, or a blanket are other appreciated items in the chilly hospital environment. And again, the nursing staff may be able to guide you as to the need.
When presents are taken to the hospital, let your children know beforehand that they are going to other children just like themselves who are very sick. You will want to make the delivery itself to the information counter or main and make sure your gifts arrive before Christmas Eve so the nursing staff will have time to sort and hand out your gifts to children of the appropriate age and sex.
