DECEMBER 2015 - Make Christmas merry and meaningful for teenagers

The Christmas season probably means different things to different members of your family. As parents, you likely feel overwhelmed by your growing to-do list. Younger children feel like December can’t go by quickly enough, as they keep adding to their wish lists. Teenagers, meanwhile, may feel like they’ve outgrown some of your family’s Christmas traditions. The good news is that the holidays offer the most focused family time that kids will experience all year—and that traditions can change along with your family.

With a little intentional planning, you can make Christmas both fun and meaningful for your teenagers. Most importantly, you can emphasize that the holiday is about Jesus coming to earth to save us. Next, you can move the focus from “self" and receiving gifts to other people, serving, and giving. Instead of packing the Christmas season with constant activities, step back and enjoy some quiet times together. Talk about your favorite Christmas memories as a child. Spend some time with older or younger relatives. Complete holiday preparations such as shopping and baking together.

You can also start new traditions as your kids grow up. For example, decorate and hang stockings, and then fill them with affirmations, notes, and small goodies. Or do a “white elephant” gift exchange and then talk about the gifts we offer to God and what might be on God’s Christmas wish list. When kids learn that Christmas isn’t all about “me,” they’re ready to go deeper and experience true Christmas joy.

PRAYER FOCUS FOR DECEMBER:

1. Pray that your teenager will focus on the true meaning of Christmas rather than on the holiday's materialistic trappings.
2. Pray that your teenagers will find joy in "family time" during the Christmas season - and all year long.
3. Pray that God will give your kids an abundance of peace, calmness, and rest as they celebrate Jesus' birth
4. Pray that the meaning of Christmas will encourage your kids to serve other people and to share the good news of Jesus' love with them.