If you didn’t already know, Christmas in the Philippines begins the moment the “ber” months start. That means you’ll be hearing Christmas carols come September and you’ll most likely be seeing holiday decorations set up in some homes or at the mall by early November. That means that every household has months to get ready for Christmas. But, as mamas, of course, there’s never really enough time to get things done!
So, mamas, this Christmas season, why not enlist the help of your little ones so you can be sure that things are done on time? This way, you can keep them occupied, make sure you tick all the tasks off your list, and teach your kids a thing or two about responsibility in the process. Though, with so much to do, what tasks can kids do that can teach them lessons while letting them have fun?
In this article, we’ve listed a few fun tasks that every mama has to do come Christmas that any and every kid can do too! Read on to find out what activities you can assign to your child that can get them in the holiday mood while teaching them about what it means to be responsible at the same time!
Decorate The House
Once the Christmas season comes, people around the country begin to frantically decorate their homes and spaces. Parols have to be hung, Christmas trees have to be put up and decorated with tinsel and sparkling lights, and all of the holiday decorations that have been kept in storage all year long have to be cleaned and set up.
This can all get quite tiring pretty fast, but mamas, having kids means you now have an extra pair of hands that can help. You can even hit two birds with one stone and use this as a chance to teach them about responsibility!
Start small - you can begin teaching your little ones about responsibility with simple yet fun tasks like decorating the tree or putting up some baubles and other hanging decorations around the house. If you’re comfortable with your kids handling breakables or decorations that are more fragile than the usual plastic ornaments, then they can help out by setting up the more complex or complicated decorations like the belen and other decorations you usually set up for Christmas.
Help with the Holiday Shopping
Shopping during the holidays is a very different experience than shopping on a regular day. After all, Christmas shopping means getting some great finds for less, smelling freshly made rice treats or “kakanin”, hearing merry Yuletide music ringing through the stores and in malls, and bright festive lights sparkling as you shop.
It’s during this time that mamas are usually the busiest since there’s a lot of people and events that moms have to shop for! Thankfully, being a mama means having little elves to help with all the shopping. By letting your kids join in the holiday shopping spree, you not only teach them how to shop responsibly, but you also get to teach them the value of generosity!
Every mama has a Christmas list which means you have to get gifts for everyone on it like your parents, grandparents, siblings, spouse, kids, and perhaps even your pet. So, why not ask your children to assist you in shopping for a family member. Shopping for something to make their father, grandparents, or other family members happy will reinforce the lesson that giving and receiving are equally essential. Additionally, shopping for others will offer them something to be in charge of.
Wrap Gifts
Just like shopping, wrapping gifts is a necessary task during the holiday season. It’s also another task that can take pretty long if done alone. Though, with Santa’s little helpers, this task can go by so much quicker! Given the wrapping might not be too good at first, if you give your kids a chance to wrap gifts, they not only get to practice their wrapping skills but they also get to understand the value of giving a well-prepared gift to someone.
By giving your kids this task, you are giving them a chance to be responsible for making sure that whoever’s gift is ready for giving! They’re not only more involved this way, but they also get the chance to feel more fulfilled and it gives them a chance to exercise their art skills!
Cook Noche Buena
Noche buena is the meal that we all look forward to during the year, so preparing for it is a must. Now, cooking is a fun activity the whole family can do since cooking has both simple and difficult tasks that anyone can help with. Every family has different recipes that can be new or traditional that everyone can help out with, so, be it leche flan, fruit salad, or baked spaghetti, there’s something your kids can help with.
Letting your children prep the ingredients, mix the salad dressing, or even put the food in the oven helps them feel more involved in the preparation process and lets them feel a sense of responsibility when they help get the feast ready. They will understand the importance of doing so and this even helps you all make fun memories that you’ll probably look back on in the future.
Make A New Years' Resolution List
We make New Year's resolutions so that we can hold ourselves to them. Teaching the little ones to do so keeps your kids engaged and helps instill responsibility in them. This is because it helps them come up with things they would like to do better or improve and this makes them understand that it’s their responsibility to make sure it happens.
Setting objectives for the new year can be simple, like checking in with each other every night at dinner or putting your shoes in the right place after you use them, or it can be more ambitious, like increasing your savings or promising to wash the dishes every week. These objectives can change over time, but teaching your kids to stick to their resolutions instills responsibility in them early on.
Teaching kids how to be responsible can often be difficult or challenging, especially when it comes to helping them the value of being responsible. But, with fun and simple tasks that keep them engaged, they might actually be more inclined to keep doing it in the future and, before you know it, it will be a good habit that sticks with them for a lifetime! Do you have other tips and tricks to keep your kids engaged while teaching them about responsibility? Reach out to us and let us know!
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