I don’t about you, but as the kids got older it seemed Christmas morning went by faster and faster.  That is at least the opening gifts and stuff part went faster.  The kids got better at sorting the gifts, and opening them.  It was bad enough that they would get a head start a couple of times.
My wife and I wanted to really enjoy Christmas more as a family, so we found a handful of ways to slow things down a bit on that important holiday.
- No gift opening before 8 AM – believe it or not this is a big stress reducer.  We get to sleep in and so do the kids with no fear anyone will miss anything.
- Each gift has to have the giver recognized – this is as simple as reading it aloud from the gift tag, but we added note taking to make sure the children could say appropriate thank you.
- Pictures – the pre-opening tree and presents must be captured, and then the event of opening and giving gifts is captured as well.  Makes for real memories anchored by the photos as well.
- Everyone gets some clothes on – no half dressed, shirtless, or underwear clad bodies sitting around the Christmas tree. This is good for many reasons; use your own imagination.
- Food – yeah, we fix something easy on Christmas morning – usually like those cinnamon rolls in a tube. The more intriguing to the kids, the better. Some will want to eat a hot roll before doing anything else.
They may not be original ideas, but they’ve worked for us.  Best of all, they work better as the kids get older.
Happy Holidays,
Todd
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Todd Jordan is a father of two men, and grandfather to three wonderful girls. He can be found on Twitter, and at his own blog, The Broad Brush, where he writes about social networking and more.
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Great ideas! I like that you are instilling in them the importance in recognizing and thanking the giver. Good manners get you further in life.
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Great ideas! I like that you are instilling in them the importance in recognizing and thanking the giver. Good manners get you further in life.
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These are some excellent tips to reduce stress on Christmas morning and I hope will cure the grumpies.
I love your website and the practical and useful tips you’re posting.
Lukeither Willingham,CEO
Lukeither Multimedia and Design
http://www.lukeithermd.com
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These are some excellent tips to reduce stress on Christmas morning and I hope will cure the grumpies.
I love your website and the practical and useful tips you’re posting.
Lukeither Willingham,CEO
Lukeither Multimedia and Design
http://www.lukeithermd.com
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I have pictures from last Christmas where a couple of the kids are still in their underwear. I think I like your idea of setting some rules. My kids are young still, so it was a little cute, but I’m thinking that won’t be so cute in a few years!
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I have pictures from last Christmas where a couple of the kids are still in their underwear. I think I like your idea of setting some rules. My kids are young still, so it was a little cute, but I’m thinking that won’t be so cute in a few years!
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I usually make pancakes but rolls in a tube …. mmm, I smell the cinaminny goodness now.
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I usually make pancakes but rolls in a tube …. mmm, I smell the cinaminny goodness now.
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Thanks everyone for the feedback and for stopping by. I enjoyed sharing these ideas.
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Thanks everyone for the feedback and for stopping by. I enjoyed sharing these ideas.
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Already there, matey, already there!!
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Already there, matey, already there!!
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Sadly, as the family continues to grow, these things that we used to do are falling by the wayside. With 24 people and always increasing, it becomes difficult to maintain any sense of decorum. Believe these are good tips for the younger generation especially as they start their own families and need to capture memories wherever possible. Thanks for the great post.
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Sadly, as the family continues to grow, these things that we used to do are falling by the wayside. With 24 people and always increasing, it becomes difficult to maintain any sense of decorum. Believe these are good tips for the younger generation especially as they start their own families and need to capture memories wherever possible. Thanks for the great post.
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We had very similar Christmas morning guidelines when we were growing up, they worked, we have great footage that we will always remember. Hmmm, a few in undies though, lol…
Merry Christmas!
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We had very similar Christmas morning guidelines when we were growing up, they worked, we have great footage that we will always remember. Hmmm, a few in undies though, lol…
Merry Christmas!
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Christmas around the corner, add a set of Christmas for their own equipment, in the Christmas Eve night out carnival, in 2009, the last few days of the time, crazy look, ed hardy is Christmas promotions, so many beautiful clothes, you can certainly To find a suitable for you, quick action bar!
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Fancy knowing that.I’m counting on you.
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Fancy knowing that.I'm counting on you.
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Fancy knowing that.I'm counting on you.
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Fancy knowing that.I'm counting on you.
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Fancy knowing that.I'm counting on you.