Advent Traditions

As parents of four small children, my husband Ryan and I learned very quickly that starting family traditions can go one of two ways.....fun and chaotic, or just chaotic. Images in our heads of our children sitting around creating the perfect Advent wreath translated into a scene from a horror movie as someone grabs the wrong end of a glue gun, someone knocks over the glitter and someone else is eating the candles, while mommy huddles in the corner thinking “why do I do this to myself?”

After several years of “failed” expectations, I learned quickly that the problem was not my children being out of control and wild. It was us (Ryan and I) having unrealistic expectations for creating that perfect kodak moment. Looking back at pictures from when the kids were “really” little, my favorite moments are not the ones that look perfect. My favorite moments are the ones where glitter is everywhere, a kid has wax in his teeth and our wreath is less than perfect. Some how along the way, even though we stumble through, get sidetracked and desperately try to avoid ER trips, our kids “get it”. While we may not do EVERY craft Mom pins on Pinterest, those we do are done with few expectations and LOTS of laughter; all the while stressing the story of Jesus and his birth. Here are a few that we have incorporated into our celebration of the birth of Jesus:

Making a wreath

Good Shepherd has provided a wonderful opportunity for families to come together and make a wreath that can be enjoyed for years to come. There is also a book called Advent Begins at Home . I use this every night during advent. It is full of prayers, crafts and ideas for things to do as a family.

Sing

We are always singing songs about christmas during the advent season. We have a song book and our oldest is very good about finding the Christmas songs and leading the younger children.

Attend a concert

We have been attending the Good Shepherd Choir Concert for years and the children look forward to it every year. They even believe that some of the singers are famous because of how beautiful their voices are.

Adopt an Angel

We save our change in a jar throughout the year and with the money we adopt a family. We also go through our things and donate what we don’t use to charity. There is a fantastic book by Dave Ramsey for kids that speaks to the spirit of giving called The Big Birthday Surprise. It really drives home the act of giving in a way the kids understand.

Advent Calendar

This is a great way to focus on Jesus during the Christmas season. This, for us, is not the commercialized calendar that you see in the store.  While those are great, the Advent Begins at Home book provides a daily activity for you to do as a family or individually. Each day provides an opportunity to do something for someone or reflect on what Christmas means to you. For example, my kids’ favorite activities are the ones that have them draw a picture.

Of course these activities are not all perfectly played out.  The effort is there and the kids look forward to them every year. While in the trenches of parenthood these opportunities of sharing and talking about our faith really make the days of tantrums and tears all worth while. I leave you with my favorite “Kodak moment” and yes this went on the Easter card......

                

Bio-
My name is Leslie. My husband Ryan and I are high school sweethearts from Colleyville. I went through RCIA at Good Shepherd in 2003. Ryan and I were married at Good Shepherd in 2004 and have four children, Cameron (7), Riley (5), Bradford (3) and Elijah (1).