As we all wake from our tryptophan-induced comas (those of us who celebrated Thanksgiving, anyway), let’s reflect on what the big holidays mean to us. What will they mean to our children?

It’s easy to get swept up in the tide of commercialism, especially around Christmastime. As parents, we need to make sure that our kids are seeing the big picture - not just round after round of food and gifts.

HealthDay offers these tips to help us make holidays meaningful for the kids:

• Create traditions in the family that your children can look forward to. Talk about why it’s important to have traditions, and which ones are their favorites.
• Encourage children to volunteer, and to make donations and gifts for those who are less fortunate.
• As a family, make homemade gifts to give to friends and family members. Help your children understand that a gift doesn’t need to be something that’s bought from a store.
• Don’t let yourself get stressed during the holidays. Let your children see that it’s a time to enjoy spending together as a family. (I’ll let you know if I ever figure out how to remain stress-free during the biggest holidays of the year!)

What does your family do to celebrate the holidays in ways that outlast the turkey and the fat guy laden with presents?

Posted by Sunshine.