With Christmas quickly coming up on us I have been thinking about Christmas traditions and the excitement of Christmas. My kids are older now and so Christmas has a different feel from when they were younger, but it is still exciting.
I started to think of traditions and how the holiday’s are celebrated. The thought of equality came to mind and my thoughts of husband and wife dynamics that could stand to change. As a woman who believes wives should stop being seen as the “homemaker” or the one to be expected to do all the grunt work at home, the behind the scenes workers. I began to think of Christmas traditions and how Mom’s sometimes get forgotten.
When I was growing up my siblings and I would wake early on Christmas morning, run downstairs and look through our filled stockings, and then proceed to open all of our presents. After which, my mom would have made us a yummy breakfast. It was exciting and fun, but to be honest, I never noticed if my mom’s stocking was filled or how many gifts she opened.
When I married and had kids we celebrated Christmas the same way, until my older son turned 3 years old and my youngest was a baby. I started to notice that after opening a couple gifts my oldest would start to get a bit overwhelmed and leave the room. We decided after that year our new tradition would be different. We would wake up early, because I don’t know a child that lets their parents sleep in on a Christmas morning, and first thing we would do is go through our stockings. We would then all go in the kitchen to make coffee, juice, and breakfast. After breakfast we would open a couple presents and then stop to take the toys out of the package so the boys could play with what they had already opened for a bit. After a break we would then go back to open a couple more. This process lasted all day after pausing for lunch and pausing to play with what we had opened during day. For us it added so much to the Christmas experience, we were able to enjoy the day and make it feel so relaxing, without feeling like it ended so abruptly before 10am. I love my Christmas’ with my family!
My Christmas traditions bring me joy because I have always felt as included as the kids and my husband. My mom came to visit us years ago and stayed with us for Christmas. I bought her presents but also bought gifts to fill a stocking for her as well as everyone else. Which began my thinking about Christmas’ when we were younger.
Did she have a stocking and did her stocking ever get filled?
What about all the other Mom’s out there shopping for all their families, Who fills their stockings?
Recently I saw a question about this on Facebook and the comments I read made me cry. The number of mom’s out there that wake on Christmas morning to empty stockings (unless they filled it themselves) was heartbreaking. Here is a list of some of the comments I read:
- “It is always empty.” (More than half of the comments listed this one)
- “I fill it myself, with gum, mints, and lip balm.”
- “I fill it myself. It used to make me sad, but now I just smile because I get myself the good treats.”
- “Mine is always empty.”
- “I fill my own, but just with little things, and everyone else gets nicer things.”
- “Apparently in my house – they think Santa really does fill the stockings because mine is usually empty.”
I feel lucky in this respect because my husband has always filled my stocking for Christmas. However, those few of us that have a husband that fills our stocking should not have to say we are lucky. How is it that people in families don’t think to fill the Mom’s stocking? When kids are little and believe in Santa, obviously Mom’s stocking would be Santa’s job to fill. So Santa, Dad, should be filling Mom’s stocking. This year it would be nice to start seeing the Mom’s in the world a new way. Make sure at Christmas that everyone has filled stockings or gifts, and are able to celebrate or enjoy Christmas so everyone is seen. Make sure the Mom in your life feels loved this Christmas and make sure she is getting the same as what she gives to others.
So my challenge to everyone is to make sure each person in your family or in your home is getting gifts and filled stockings so they all feel seen and loved this Holiday Season. Also, for myself as well, maybe reach out and fill a stocking for your parents or do you know any single or divorced friends who would enjoy a little extra gift for the Holiday Season.
I hope everyone reading this enjoys a wonderful Christmas Season or if you are celebrating another Holiday Season have a great season!
Karen Reeder 