One of the goals we have as parents is to help our children prepare to be out on their own. We need to help them learn to be independent. At the same time I don’t want to make things more difficult, AND I want to help provide continuity for him. So that even when he’s not at home, he’ll have a tie back to us with happy memories. To that end, I looked at the fun of Christmas ornaments and said “that’s a nice tie-in”. Prepare the lad to leave home, yet send him off with Christmas ornaments. So every year I give him a new Christmas ornament and try to tie it in with something about the year that preceded us.
Some of the Lad’s Ornaments
One year we had a huge amount of fun attending our local White Squirrel festival. The lad was just young yet, and just had a hoot. So that Christmas he received a white squirrel ornament.
You know how there are cat people and there are dog people? There are also bunny, snake and spider people too…but I digress. Anyways, my boy is a cat person through and through. He’s gotten more than one cat ornament over the years. It’s good to celebrate the things a person loves don’t you think? That acceptance helps burgeoning independence.
One year my lad was big into jumping spiders. I asked him what he wanted for an ornament and he immediately piped up “Spiders! I want spiders!” Oh my… I am SO glad that the dollar store had these tiny spider earrings forgotten on a shelf. The lad.. ABSOLUTELY delighted. He still insists on putting them up on the tree. It’s such a fun reminder of all the jumping spiders he has kept over the years.
A year of studying Canada brought out this beaver maple leaf ornament.
Did you know that SchoolhouseTeachers has a whole section on ornaments and Christmas? They’ve put together a good list to help people enjoy this holiday season.
Every year we celebrate the fun of Christmas ornaments. A year of good memories. Laughter and conversation. It’s such a good thing while remembering the saviour and all he’s done for us.
This year I got my lad an ornament from Trending Custom. I hope in a year when our old cat is really showing his age, and starting dementia, that this ornament I got for him will remind him of good times with his cat.
So what Christmas traditions do you have the will help your children go off well into adulthood?
This is such a wonderful idea. I love it!
oh thank you, it’s worked well for us indeed. 🙂
I love it 🙂 what a sweet tradition with so much thought to the future! 🙂
oh thank you, time will tell how it holds up in the long run. But so far, so good.
We do something very similar and give the girls a new ornament every year. Many times, we make the ornaments and we plan to send them off to their own first home with a boxful of Christmas love and memories.
I love the idea of sending them off with that piece of home! I’ve been thinking I need to get them each a box or something for their special ornaments.
we started having to do that last year. They stay in the “Christmas boxes” but his have a box now rather than a bag.
I love this tradition. My mom and I used to collect ornaments from places we visited. I continued that we my husband starting with our honeymoon. I have a really pretty ball ornament from Charleston, SC on the tree.
are ornaments available year-round as you travel? I find that notion intriguing.
I love this! We collect ornaments from places we’ve traveled and it brings back lovely memories!
oh it would! you must have some interesting ones.
I love how the ornaments connect to memories. Precious!
It’s good to have the tangible to attach to the intangible.
That is such a cute idea and super thoughtful! I love the personalization that goes into the ornament choice and the memories it highlights.
it’s a great conversation booster every year, that’s for sure! 🙂 Hopefully if he ever has kids of his own, it will give them a glimpse into his past. 🙂