Making Christmas Memories
For me, December brings memories of Christmas crafts, stories, plays and songs at school. I don't know how or even if schools celebrate Christmas anymore, but when you homeschool, you can celebrate it any way you want.
When my kids were small, we spent a lot of time making Christmas decorations, cards, and gift tags. But as they grew older, they outgrew those activities. Besides, being the sentimental person I am, I had kept most of what they'd made in the past. How many paper chains does one family need, anyway? It was time to replace our crafting tradition with something new.
If you're feeling that way, consider finding ways to volunteer with your children during the Christmas season. We homeschoolers have the benefit of flexible schedules, so we can do plenty of fun yet necessary volunteer work during the day.
Here are a few ideas of where you and your children can volunteer this season:All of these activities will help your children by taking their minds off of what they want for Christmas, and guiding them to think instead about how they can help others. Invite some like-minded families from your homeschool support group or church along, and make volunteering a social event, if you like. However you do it, enjoy knowing that you and your children have helped to make someone else's season bright, and that your children have learned through experience that it truly is more blessed to give than to receive.1) Homeless shelters need help all the time, but they are busiest during the winter months. Since some homeless people have substance abuse or mental health problems, you may not want your children in direct contact with the shelters' clients. Indeed, many shelters don't allow it. But kids can help behind the scenes. They can help prepare meals or bag lunches to be distributed by adult volunteers. They can also participate in clothing drives or fundraising efforts. Contact your local homeless shelter, or church PADS program, for more information.
2) Meals-with-Wheels is a program that provides seniors with a hot lunch. The Meals volunteer delivery person may be the only person some seniors see each day. My children have helped deliver Meals-with-Wheels for years, and when we are assigned to drive during the Christmas season, they make Christmas drawings or decorations to deliver along with the meals. One year we gave each client a plastic snow globe depicting the Nativity. (One caution: if you decide to hand out a small gift, do not give goodies such as cookies or candy. Many seniors are on restricted diets, and can't have them.)
3) Crisis pregnancy centers are always looking for donations, but at Christmas time they especially appreciate donations of new baby clothes to hand out to their clients. It's fun to buy something special for a little one whose mother chose life. There are so many cute baby clothes in the stores; pick out a bunch and let your children vote for their favorites.
4) Your local food pantry will greatly appreciate donations. Why not take the kids caroling, and ask each house's residents for a canned-good donation for the food pantry? The kids can have fun while working for a worthy cause. You can also ask the pantry for the name of an especially needy family, and shop with your children for food specifically for that family.
5) The Postal Service offers a Letters to Santa program in many cities that matches up volunteers with children who have written Santa asking for food or clothing. Check with your local post office for details. Here in Chicago, the Postal Service will email you one of the children's letters, or you can pick one up in person.
Copyright 2004 Barbara Frank