Your Kids Don’t Need Magical Lives

The conversation is the same every year. My friends and I start talking about the Christmas gift list, the letter to Santa, our shopping list.  We reminisce about what we did last year.

I love reliving the moments of wonder and magic that dance across my children's faces on Christmas morning. Those few moments are worth all the money, time, and energy I spend preparing for Christmas morning.

We all have different traditions, but there's one thing we all agree on: we often go overboard buying presents for our kids.  Why do we do it? We're trying to create magic for our children. Christmas is supposed to be magical after all.

But what happens if we start trying to inject magic into every day? What happens if we start going overboard in a misguided effort to make our kids entire lives magical?  Sarah Clark at Mothering Magazine has an idea:

Every time I try to “create magic” for my children I just end up more broke, more stressed, and…yelling. Yes, I admit- I yell when I am stressed. It isn’t right and it isn’t pretty.

Okay, so maybe that's not you. I'll admit that it sounds a little like me, but maybe you're calmer and cooler than us. Still, you'll be glad to know that you don't have to …

throw outrageous themed parties, activities, occasions, playgroups, and events. All adult created, crafted, and manufactured “magic” for the sake of children.

Let's face it. We all know our kids don't need that stuff. Heck, it might not even be good for them – but that's another argument for another day.

The point is:

After a few years of watching children, I have also discovered that crafted magic is quite unnecessary for them. Children create their own magic in the world. They see it everywhere. No special activities required.

Guaranteed.

Isn't that a relief?

Your children don’t need you to create magic for them.

Children are magic.

Adults should spend less time rushing around trying to create wonder for their kids. Instead, we need to sit back, be still, and watch these babies.

We will find something truly magical – we will start to remember how wonderful the world around us already is when we see it through the eyes of a child.

Remember that magic is all around you. Especially in the eyes of your children.

Get more ideas about the simple, seemingly mundane, magical everyday moments you can share with your kids without all the stress at Mothering.