Making Christmas Magical

When you're a child, Christmas is the most magical time. Once the fairy lights come out in the streets, and the decorations in the stores go up, you're looking around in wonder at absolutely everything looking brighter and shinier than it ever has before. For a child, Christmas is a very big deal, and looking at the world in a way that changes everybody's opinion is important when you're young. You see all of the grownups who are usually so stressed out and unhappy looking hopeful and excited purely because they know Christmas is coming and families are getting together and everybody is about to have a fun and relaxing time. 

Making Christmas magical is hard when you're an adult and you don't have any family around you. That magic seems to return when you have children, because you become Father Christmas and you start making things magical for them. There is nothing more joyful than getting up on Christmas morning to see your children's happy faces because the hard work that you have put in to make that happen is evident. And it's worked. It's not just about the presents under the tree, because while it's fun to see their expressions when they open them, it's all of the smaller traditions that often make kids the happiest. 

Things such as making sure a plate with a mince pie and the smoothest whisky is set out ready for Father Christmas before they go to bed, and hanging the stockings at the end of the bed or just outside their bedroom doors is exciting. There is magic in children, and when it comes to Christmas time, there is nothing better than that embodiment of magic in your kids. So, with that in mind we've got some amazing suggestions to help make Christmas as magical as can be:

• Hide all of the gifts. We mean the ones that even come from family and friends. Many people like to put those presents under the tree before Christmas Eve, but sometimes it can be more magical to make sure that all of the presents seem to appear by magic on Christmas night while they are asleep. You can talk about the fact that all Christmas gifts are from Father Christmas and he will deliver them, and while it's nice to have those family presents sitting under the tree, it does invite temptation for children to poke and prod at the gifts and attempt to open them before the big day. So, hiding the gift is probably the best thing that you can do for the whole family and for your stress levels!
• Start lining up those Christmas movies. Christmas spirit is often felt based on TV shows. Christmas episodes of our favorite TV shows, Christmas movies like Home Alone and A Miracle on 34th Street always seemed so much more cozy and fun to watch as Christmas nears. By watching all of your Christmas movies systematically over the Christmas period, you will get more and more in the Christmas spirit.
• Book to see Father Christmas. Almost all shopping centers and malls have a Father Christmas inside to meet and greet the children and give them a gift in anticipation of Christmas. It's a tradition that many families love to uphold because seeing the looks on their child's face when they get to meet Santa for the first time is something to add to the photo memory books. Not all children are happy to do it, so don't force your children into the tradition just for a photo op, but if they are excited to meet Father Christmas then definitely book to see a good one.
• Make reindeer food on Christmas Eve. As well as putting out the whisky and the mince pie for Father Christmas to have when he visits in the night, why not help your children to make some reindeer food and put that out for Rudolph and the reindeer? It's such a simple recipe: Some sugar, glitter that's edible, and oatmeal is really going to be something that the children will love to make mixed together. As you put out the whisky and the mince pie for Father Christmas, sprinkle the reindeer food on the ground nearby and in the morning the children will see the reindeer food is gone!

No matter what you believe in this Christmas, make sure that your children have the most magical time. These tips are really going to help to make that happen, and your whole family will be able to enjoy the festive spirit. Merry Christmas!