Creating a Christmas Count-Down Calendar

Christmas would not be Christmas….

…without a countdown calendar!

Christmas would not be Christmas without a countdown calendar!

It adds to the anticipation of Christmas!!

It would be super easy to just grab a licensed calendar from the supermarket, but why not add a twist to it this year! I use my countdown calendar to have fun, create excitement about Christmas, but also it’s a great opportunity to reinforce your family values!

I’m one of those mummas who like reading parenting books in my spare time. From everything I’ve read, the experts agree that one thing that helps kids stay strong through their teenage years is a strong sense of belonging. If they don’t find this at home, they’ll go elsewhere, often to places and people we won’t approve of. One great way to create a sense of belonging in your family is to have traditions.

Traditions create a strong sense of ‘who we are together’

What better time to introduce some family traditions then at Christmas?

So back to the countdown calendar. It’s a definite tradition in the Bennett household!

You just need to make one initial investment – some sort of countdown calendar you can use every year, with pockets or boxes. I got mine for under $10 at IKEA

Now, just so I’m not labelled that ‘freak mother’ who’s always doing weird hippie things –

here are some stock standard idea for the treats they have come to expect…

fill a few boxes with Lollies, candy canes etc
have a mini treasure hunt by leaving a note in the box that says ‘go look under your pillow’. Then leave a Santa chocolate under there
put a gold coin in a box or two
leave a note saying ‘this is a voucher for one drive through Maccas Icecream

Here are a few examples, but you can create your own…

do something kind for someone else today and be ready to share what you did around the dinner table tonight
do the dishes for mum today
write a nice letter to someone who is alone this Christmas and we’ll post it
take on an extra household job today to help lighten mum/dad’s load
you write out a pass that let’s them off all their jobs for the day
write them a little letter yourself telling them why you love them and what you admire about them

So Merry Christmas and happy count-downing to you and your family.

X x Renee